From: Isha Khan <bd_mailer@yahoo.com>
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Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 3:19:01 AM
Subject: [ALOCHONA] Proposed Defence Expenditure & BDR Mutiny – Interlinked?
| Proposed Defence Expenditure & BDR Mutiny – Interlinked? M.B.I. Munshi There are I believe certain features of the BDR mutiny that cannot be easily dismissed as mere conspiracy theorizing and which I wish to elaborate on in this short article. I would hope that readers will respond to my arguments and start a debate on this crucial national issue – 1. I am completely stunned and shocked like many others at the savagery and cruelty displayed by the BDR jawans during the revolt. We are informed that many of the victims had been first shot, then bayoneted with some having their eyes pulled out and then dumped in stinking and dirty sewers. The atrocious acts committed on the women were even more incomprehensible and debasing with many being first gang-raped and then their bodies burned. What level of hatred (or madness) is required for a human being to carry out such despicable acts? Not even the Pakistani forces resorted to such behaviour in our liberation war in 1971. The obvious reason for this restraint is that the mutilation or defilement of dead bodies is strictly prohibited in Islam. It is a great sin to humiliate or abuse the body of a dead person whether friend or foe. It is on this ground that I am of the opinion that the mutiny and killing could not have been done by Muslims who would have this sin carved into their souls for eternity. This could have only been planned and orchestrated by outsiders and non-Muslims. 2. The main ground for my suspicions on outside inspiration is the enlarged defence expenditure proposed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina recently. The type of military equipment that was to be procured were highly sophisticated and would have significantly enhanced our defence capabilities. I am of the opinion that the BDR mutiny and these defence expenditures are linked due to some quarters not wishing Bangladesh to have an effective fighting force. Who could possibly feel threatened by the government proposal and would then seek to have it cancelled and also to send a warning signal to the government and military not to move forward with the procurements or even disable the defence forces in a preemptive act of sabotage? 3, Related to point 2 is whether the Prime Minister hoodwinked the nation by pretending to seek the procurement of the weapons and thereby allow Bangladesh to establish an effective fighting force defending the country but she had no real intention to follow through on either issue. She made a similar comment to the BDR only a few hours before the mutiny started but according to some opinions she hesitated to act against the mutineers. Why in Gods name did it take 3 days for artillery and tanks to move to the spot? Why were such inexperienced negotiators allowed to enter the compound and parley with the mutineers with a very hasty amnesty agreement being cobbled together in only a matter of a few hours? 4. How is it that our neighbouring country's press and media were able to identify the culprits and planners of the mutiny within only a few hours of the revolt occurring? More pertinently those identified by the Indian reports had nothing to gain from this conspiracy and rebellion. Instead to identify possible suspects one should first list those who had most to gain and determine then whether they had the means and resources to carry out such an operation. From the eye witness accounts now appearing we know that this was pre-planned and premeditated. The army officers were taken by surprise without forewarning of the attack. We know now (according to firsthand testimony of survivors of the carnage in the BDR HQ) that Gen. Shakil Ahmed had in fact raised the BDR jawan's grievances with the Prime Minister who promised to look into the issue. If this be the case why was it necessary for the jawan's to then kill the officers regardless. 5. The intelligence and televisions pictures similarly raise some important questions. If the mutiny was planned by Islamist groups why were mutineers seen chanting `Joy Bangla' instead of `Allah hu Akbar' or `Bangladesh Zindabad'. The rumour that the BSF had been inciting the BDR jawans to attack the army should also be verified. There is also some doubts over why India proposed a Peace Mission even before Dhaka made a request. 6. There are rumours circulating that many of the army officers killed in the attack had only been transferred to the BDR in the last two weeks to one month. If this is really the case then this might show that the transfers were deliberately planned and the killings premeditated to wipe out some of the best and most brilliant officers in the army. These claims must be verified. All these points deserve an answer and by seeking to find the truth we will discover if any outside forces were indeed involved or whether this was a brief act of national madness.
Bangladesh plans major defence procurement The Hindu – February 23, 2009 Dhaka (PTI): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's new government in Bangladesh has decided to launch a massive defence procurement drive to strengthen the armed forces and to equip them with modern weapons and military hardware. Planning Minister Air Vice Marshal (retd) AK Khondoker told parliament yesterday that the purchases would be made during the current and next fiscals. He said the forces would be made well equipped and trained in line with the country's financial capabilities. "For equipping the army, plans have been taken to procure helicopters, tanks, APCs (armoured personnel carrier), anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, sniper rifles, different types of modern radio systems, explosives, night vision and related hardware, other types of weapons and vehicles in 2008-2009 and 2009-2010," he told the house. A process was now underway to procure three new frigates to earn the "three dimensional" capabilities for the navy to face the 21st centuries challenge, he said. "A process to sign a procurement deal has been completed to buy appropriate anti-ship missiles for Bangladesh Navy's ultra modern frigate while it is now awaiting the government's final nod... Works are underway to install anti-aircraft missile in the ship (frigate)," Khondoker said. |
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