The army shaken the nation shocked The ghastly events of February 25 have left the army shaken, the nation shocked with ominous reverberations of uncertainty A PROBE report The nation is still reeling from the tragedy of February 25 and the black days that followed. The meaningless killing of army officers, the killing and torturing of their families, the death of other innocent persons cannot be accepted. Neither the army in particular nor the nation as a whole, can reconcile themselves to the ghastly chapter of murder and mayhem that shook the BDR headquarters at Peelkhana during that despicable and bloody chapter of the country's history. Now, still in a state of uncertainty, anger, frustration and loss, the army stands shaken, the nation shell-shocked. The question which looms large in all minds is, now what? What has the impact of this incident been and how far-reaching are the consequences? Analysts view this matter in all seriousness as the implications are grave. Impact on the nation The virtual diminishing of Bangladesh Rifles by this utterly irresponsible and malevolent mutiny has left Bangladesh's borders gaping and vulnerable. This is a matter of national security. Given our very porous borders with India, the absence of adequate border security means a step up of smuggling, security risks and more. The border security has been rendered under strength by about 30%, according to experts, and it will take at least another five years, probably 10 (that too if possible at all) to rebuild this strength, to bring BDR to a level of adequate efficiency. The people have reacted strongly against the BDR uprising and chants were heard on the university campus, "BDR, janwar!" meaning "BDR are beasts." Future recruitments for the BDR will call for scrupulous screening, and even so, confidence in the force has been shaken deep. Thorough reconstruction of the force almost amounts to starting from scratch and once against striving hard to win the public confidence and trust. This has been a blow to the national psyche. Larger implications aside, there was hardly a dry eye during the janaza of the killed officers, when one saw the weeping children, wives and families members, bewildered by the cruelty of the killers, the futility of the sacrifices made by their loved ones, the valiant sons of the soil. As a nation, the BDR event has been a blow to the economy too. At a time of global recession where investors at home and abroad have been more than conservative as it is, this internationally-broadcast incident of terrorism will be a disincentive in no uncertain terms. Where regional and global politics is concerned, the incident will serve as further fuel to the quarters that are eager to term Bangladesh as a failed state. So far the nation has been able to stave of such ignominy, but killings of this scale are bound to raise eyebrows. The impact on the army is manifold The incident has shaken things up in the army and changes are bound to happen. There had previously been talk of Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed getting an extension of his term in office, but it now seems in all probability that he will simply serve his designated term and retire in due time, June this year. As a backlash to the after math of the incident, there is also bound to be a purging of officers. Many will be dropped and replaced. The incident has robbed the army of many brilliant officers as it is and further removals will hurt it further. The Bangladesh Army has enjoyed a sound reputation as UN peace-keepers in some of the most dangerous places in the world. However, with this loss of officers, the participation in UN missions is bound to slow down. The officers, after all, will be sorely needed at home, with the army reeling from the losses in logistics at the top levels. And it is not just a matter of number. The army has certainly demoralised, as can be expected, by this incident. The force is rife with suspicion and there is bound to be an increase in those looking for options to leave. The army may not pose as such an attractive career opportunity as in the past. The army has been left shaken by the loss of so many of its smart officers. Their grief and anger was palpable particularly when they faced the Prime Minister at Senakunja. Shaking off any inhibitions, they had questions and accusations galore at the inept handling of the situation and the meaningless tragic consequences. Children of the army officers address the BDR members as "uncle". The army wives call them "bhai" (brother). These terms indicate the family-like relationship between the army and BDR. It is the army officers that train the BDR as an efficient and competent force. But on that ill-fated day of February 25, all this goodwill vanished into thin air as a section of the BDR personnel attacked the officers like a pack of vicious hyenas. It was a horror of blood and gore. Officers were killed mercilessly... Yet it was earlier on the very same morning that two members of the BDR had taken an ailing officer to CMH for treatment. After that the genocide at Peelkhana began. The army protected those two members of the BDR. While the killings continued in the afternoon, the army brought in a sick BDR member by helicopter to CMH from Chalakpara in Jurachhari. In the meantime, thousands of army personnel with armoured vehicles, arms and ammunition had surrounded the BDR headquarters at Peelkhana, awaiting the crisis to be resolved politically. Despite being fully prepared and having ample force, they displayed immense patience. While the TV channels were giving a one-sided picture, blatantly blaming the army and airing the demands of the BDR, the army still displayed colossal control. Even after all that, the BDR continued on their killing spree and then fled. Peelkhana was like a field after battle, strewn with dead bodies all over. The wives, children and other relatives of the army officers were subject to untold harassment and torture. This has made the army officers burst out in fury. Their suppressed rage led to numerous questions. Willing to maintain all discipline, they wanted to face the Prime Minister, to let her know the dilemmas in their mind. Sheikh Hasina, after all, is not just the Prime Minister, she is in charge of the Defence Ministry as well. Questions Finally "responding" to their call, the Prime Minister went to Senakunja in Dhaka Cantonment on March 1. Chief of Army Staff General Moeen U Ahmed was also present there. The army officers had 32 points in writing concerning the BDR incident. Some could not control their pent-up feelings and burst out with irate questions to the Prime Minister. These questions were not just in minds of the army officers, but also in the minds of the public who were also aghast at the dastardly incident. The army officers in writing wanted to know from the Prime Minister why, instead of relevant ministers like the Home Minister, State Minister for Home Affairs, other senior minister and capable leaders, were Nanak and Azam appointed as mediators in this affair? They questioned the justification of declaring a general amnesty without ensuring the safety of the hostages within the BDR complex at Peelkhana. And why were army officers killed in several rounds even after the general amnesty was declared. Why was the army not given permission to carry out their operation even after that? On the night of the first day the Home Minister left the BDR premises without all the arms being surrendered and without handing over the surrendered arms to government custody. As a result, the arms went right back to the mutineers. So this indicates that the Home Minister in effect allowed the BDR members to carry out their night-long killing spree. The army officers asked the Prime Minister tersely, "Even after that, how come you haven't dismissed the Home Minister, on the contrary making her head of the inquiry committee?" There were other questions concerning the Home Minister "Shouldn't see resign without further delay, having failed to protect the safety and dignity of the officers and their families? The Home Minister was also slated for having called the rebelling jawans her "sons". The DGFI had earlier warned the Prime Minister's Office of conspiracy within BDR. The officers asked the Prime Minister, "If you had this information, what measures did you take? And if the intelligence agency didn't give you the information, then won't exemplary action be taken for this failure?" The officers feel that if timely action had been taken on the very first day, there would be much less casualties and their families would not have had to suffer such ignominy. The killers would not have been able to escape. They questioned that after the Prime Minister declared general amnesty for the second time, under what circumstances was the power cut, plunging Peelkhana into darkness. They asked, why were about 10 thousand BDR members allowed to flee in the presence of cabinet members and the initial mediators? The army officers had more questions. They asked the Prime Minister, when holding talks with the killers in Jamuna, why was a general amnesty announced without inquiring about the BDR DG and the other officers and without imposing any condition for their release? They asked, if any political persons, even if members of the ruling party or a minister of MP, are involved, then how will they be tried? The officers demand that they too be tried by a special tribunal or military court along with the BDR members. It was said that in the afternoon of February 26, some of the mediating political persons helped BDR members to leave the area in civilian ambulances. When plainclothes army security personnel had wanted to check the ambulances, they were not permitted to do so. One of the 32 demands was that February 25 be declared National Solidarity Day and that this day observed every year. Other demands included that a monument be erected in honour of the slain officers, that a gazette be published to term these brutally murdered officers "shaheed" and "national heroes" and that the DGs residence be made into a museum. The fact that this incident was a condemnable act of killing should be included in school and college textbooks. When posting army officers on deputation, their rights and benefits must be clearly outlined. BDR had to be abolished and restructured with a new name under military law. BDR would have to be placed under the Defence Ministry. They also demanded that Operation Rebel Hunt be started in order to arrest and try the jawans who have fled and were in hiding. There had to be state recognition for the contributions made by the army over the past two years. The officers demanded that the victimised families each be given a flat, a plot of land in government projects, a monthly remuneration and a minimum payment of one crore taka as financial assistance. The families of those killed would have to be given full pension. It was pointed out that while the media tarnished the image of the army, there was no scope for the army to present their views. This called for a removal of bureaucratic red tape in this regard so that the armed forces could speak before the media. The army officers also told the Prime Minister that after the Peelkhana tragedy, many intellectuals on TV talks shows had even expressed their satisfaction with the incident. Steps must be taken against those intellectuals. The officers even named some intellectuals and journalists in this regard. Overcome by emotion, some of the officers said, "Prime Minister, you are also our Defence Minister, our guardian. You are a woman, a mother. How do you feel about the physical and mental torture of the officers' families? What was their fault?"
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