Dr Sultan Ahmed may by right but his suggestion that the Army has 'crept' into political life is misleading. The Army has stormed into politics, been invited into politics, been tricked into politics, been forced into politics - by the antics and failures of our politicians.
As late as 2007 the Army felt it had to intervene. And the public hardly protested.
The responsibility for the success and failure of our nation state rests firstly and largely with out political classes. The Army, bureaucrats and civil society are secondary.
Politicans need to 'get it right'. It is their failures that create the scope for Army intervention.
Any argument that mitigates the guilt of the politcians is the same
argument used by the same politicians in the evening - prior to them screwing up the country the following morning.
Ezajur Rahman
Kuwait
--- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, Isha Khan <bd_mailer@...> wrote:
>
>
>
> --- On Wed, 5/27/09, saeva@... saeva@... wrote:
>
>
>
> Dr. Sultan Ahmad has correctly pointed out how the armed forces have
crept into the politics of Bangladesh. The DGFI's failure to forewarn
about any conspiracy and then to create a culture within the country
that benefits the military to extract more concessions in all sectors -
from grabbing lucrative positions in civil administration of the country
to floating military-appeasing parties - has not been all that
beneficial to our nation.
>
> I remember how active the DGFI was during the previous caretaker
government in trying to float a new party - Jagroto Bangladesh (or
whatever it wanted to name). The DGFI hosted a program in Dhaka for the
expatriates in December 2007 and before that with the cooperation of the
Military Attache to the NY High Commission hastily arranged some
meetings in some major U.S. cities when Gen. Moeen U. Ahmed was visiting
the USA. In all these events the guests included DGFI-selected
expatriates that were deemed supportive.
>
> Many observers of the Peelkhana carnage believe that the same DGFI and
Military Intelligence had failed not only to warn the government of the
conspiracy but also deliberately leaked out the proceedings of the
meeting between the prime minister and the family members of the
victims. The BDR carnage created such a commotion within the Army that
within the first couple of days of the event many young officers were on
the brink of taking power in a military coup.
> Â
> They approached some top ranking officers to get the blessing for the
coup, and fortunately for our nation, one such officer approached was
able to cool them down. Unfortunately, this same patriotic, non-partisan
(without any party favoritism) officer who had stopped the coup from
taking shape was asked to step down and forced to retire by mid-March,
just few days before I was scheduled to meet him and give a talk in a
seminar that he had arranged for me. One can only take pity on those
decision makers in Bangladesh - as to how they transfer and retire
honest good officers!
>
> For quite some time, the armed forces of Bangladesh have been pushing
for greater role in the model of Turkey and Indonesia. As any neutral
analyst would testify none of those models has proven to be beneficial
to those countries. In all likelihood, Bangladesh would not have a
honeymoon experience either with such an experimentation. The
unfortunate fact, however, is it is our corrupt politicians that have
only helped the appetite of military elitists within Bangladesh through
foul policies and vices.
> Â
> Little thought has ever been given in the last four decades to the
betterment of the real people - the downtrodden masses - the
Salimuddin-Kalimuddins and Rahima Bibis within our society that work in
the fields and factori es, pull the rickshaws and break the bricks.
Thus, rather than investing more on social projects that help boost
education and economy, thereby bettering the quality of life, we have
been spending hard-earned foreign currency in the military sector,
something that we can ill-afford on a long-term basis.
>
> What is needed is a paradigm shift - a new and fresh way of
introspection that helps our politicians and military guys to know their
boundaries of acceptable engagement in the public sector. People expect
them to perform their specific duties honestly, diligently and
transparently. When they deliver those deliverables that would be the
day we can all rejoice.
>
> Regards,
> Habib Siddiqui
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Isha Khan bd_mailer@...
> To: Dhaka Mails dhakamails@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Wed, 27 May 2009 10:40 am
> Subject: Entry of Armed Force in Politics and Controversy?
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Entry of Armed Force in Politics and Controversy?
>
>
> By Dr Sultan Ahmad , USA
> After the organized killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib with his most
family members and relatives by a gang of junior army officers, it is
believed that General Zia was associated at least informally. After this
inhumane massacre, general Zia not only managed for them impunity but
also rewarded them through posting in the Bangladesh missions
abroad.Later he killed a lot of brave freedom fighter officers in the
army and air force in the name of army mutiny through court Martial and
firing squad during his tenure in office as Martial Law administrator
and President of the country.
>
> Then he started to form a political party by using army officers by
instigating and forcing many political activists from different
political parties, especially NAP (Bhasani), in many cases, using the
countries security and intelligence organizations like DGFI and NSI. Not
only that, army officers were given a quota in foreign assignments,
appointed them as head of many state organizations that are being
continued even by the so-called democratically elected governments.
>
> Even during the Pakistan period, although most of the time the country
was run by military rulers, there is no proof that army personnel were
elected either members of Parliament or they were appointed ministers.
It was general Zia who organized army officers to retire and join
politics. Subsequently, major, Lt. Col, Brigadier, Major General and Lt.
Generals were elected member of the parliament and even appointed
ministers.
>
> Subsequently, General Ershad, a non freedom fighter and repatriate
army officer, took power illegally, used the intelligence and security
organizations for launching his party and also his own political game.
He managed to assassinate brilliant army officers in the pretext of
their involvement in the killing of General Zia.. That Ershad is now
established him as a major political pin even in our democratic culture.
>
> These DGFI and NSI failed to provide prior information before the
massacre of the Sheikh and members of his family and relatives; in
providing information before the killing of genera l Zia, massacres of
army officers recently in the BDR head quarter. The chief of these
organizations are suspected to be engaged in the smuggling of huge
amount of arms in Chittagong during the tenure of the last BNP-Jammat
government. It is indicative that these organizations are not
functioning for the safety and security of our beloved motherland, but
for serving interests of the political parties. After 1990, all parties
in power also used the intelligence to harass the opposition political
parties? Why the army Personnel is appointed always as the head of NSI?
Why then using taxpayers’ money these organizations are run?
>
> Lastly, the army chief told the press that the report of the enquiry
committee on BDR massacre formed by the Armed Forces Division is an army
property.. Mr. Chief, it is the property of the state and you are under
the ministry of defense. You are bound to submit the report to the
defense minister for necessary action. Even, you have no right to open
this report, but the defense minister.
>
> Massacre of talented army officers in BDR head quarter in February
2009 may have been due to a mutiny organized by a few, but ultimately
joined by a big group of BDR members willingly or forced to join , from
their long term deprivation (they might think) of facilities, harsh
punishment procedures normally practiced for army discipline, and the
thought of alien force controlling and supervising them with different
dress and attitude but enjoying much better facilities. BDR is
patrolling the country’s boarder day and night, in rain and hot
sun; but the army is having their training in the cantonments. So army
discipline rules should be the same for BDR and the army.
>
> Believe it or not, army in Bangladesh has established it as a major
partner in the political process of Bangladesh. The question is, should
our political system continue this culture or develop a process that
puts an end to it.
>
> --------------------------------
> Dr. Sultan Ahmad from USA.
> E Mail : sahmad4321@...
>
> http://newsfrombangladesh.net/view.php?hidRecord=265862
>
>
>
>
>
> Wanna slim down for summer? Go to America Takes it Off to learn how.
>
------------------------------------
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