Secret deal unravels amidst confusion in the army M. Shahidul Islam The recent claim by the deputy leader of the House, Sajeda Chowdhury, that 'Sheikh Hasina's food was poisoned while being in captivity in the special prison during the emergency rule' is having a quiet snowballing effect in politics as well as in the services of the Republic. "It's a dangerous game that could end up with more bloodshed," cautioned one senior retired officer of the army while a reliable source confirmed that the information relating to poisoning of Sheikh Hasina's food came from a source in the Election Commission (EC). "One of the election commissioners wanted to confirm the information during a private dinner on June 25 which was attended by a former senior officer of the DGFI, who once oversaw the imprisoned VVIPs' welfare matters during the emergency rule. Other guests attending the dinner could not realize the importance of the conversation until Awami League (AL) leader Sajeda Chowdhury disclosed the news to the public 48 hours later", the source added. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a DGFI officer said, "To be honest, the opposite is true. In fact, the then DG, Maj. Gen. Golam Mohammed, and then Brig. Gen. A T M Amin, had ensured that the former PM (Hasina) was treated in the most respectable and secured manner. A T M Amin even carried special food for Sheikh Hasina on many occasions." According to the officer, the scenario in the captivity further improved since April 2008, due to what he said, "stitching of a political deal in mid-March 2008 between the military's higher command and the AL leadership." The deal not only ensured Sheikh Hasina's safety and eventual release, all concerned officers were also told not to pursue any more anti-corruption cases against AL leaders. "All of a sudden, I was surprised to see Brig. Gen. ATM Amin busy in buying Tangail saree for Sheikh Hasina, while Gen. Golam Mohammed got intensely involved in a series of secret meetings with an important AL leader, H T Imam," the officer explained. Another source confides, since the departure of Maj. Gen Masud Uddin from the national anti-corruption coordination cell (under AFD) and the resumption of that job by then Brig. Gen. Akbar, the entire scheme of anti-corruption drive stalled and a fake of blatant partisan favouritism started in favour of the AL and against the BNP. Withdrawal syndrome This version was further attested by another former DGFI officer who said, I asked the chief (Gen. Moeen) what was going on. He responded almost philosophically and said, "Don't you withdraw and regroup in battles? This is the same thing." Indeed a strong nexus between the then chief and two successive intelligence heads had turned, what until then (March 2008) was a neutral and patriotic drive to cleanse the nation of corrupt elements, into a partisan political agenda. Meanwhile, the sudden sacking last week without any valid reason of Brig. Gen. Azmi is creating a stir within the armed forces and outside. Brig. Gen. Azmi is one of the brightest officers, having secured both the coveted Sword of Honour and the Academic Gold Medal from the military academy (BMA). One of his colleagues said in anger, "He has been sacked because he's the son of Golam Azam." Many national security experts and former military officers believe the 'wish list' of the Government is getting so big and so sweeping that it would end up soon with destruction of morale of the country's armed forces. Brig. Gen. Azmi's sacking follows the recent sacking of 10 other officers from the army for having raised questions about how the military command had handled the BDR rebellion, and, at least three other Brig. Gen(s), and over two dozens officers - ranging from Captain to Colonel- are leaving jobs voluntarily within weeks. At least 150 other voluntary resignation applications (known as Appendix-J) have been pending with authorities since the AL-led Government's coming to power, according to sources. "By the time the Government feels satisfied, the blanket could be empty of all fabrics," commented another officer who had retired from the BDR only weeks before the rebellion in February. A 'cooked up' story This scribe failed to communicate with Maj. Gen ATM Amin to further authenticate the veracity of what has now become the infamous and the most curious 'poison story'. Amin was very close to Sheikh Hasina during her period of captivity and his file for premature retirement was sent back by the PM on three different occasions until a DGFI report falsely implicated him in March for carrying a pistol in the BDR ceremony of February 24, 2009 where the PM was present. The 'cooked up' pistol- carrying- story led to his forced retirement. Bari speaks out Of the other two senior DGFI officers of the emergency - era, (excluding then DG, Maj. Gen. Golam Mohammed), Brig. Gen. Bari was removed from his post and sent as defence attace Washington few months before the election while Brig. Gen. Amin promoted as Maj. Gen., was transferred as DG of the Ansar & VDP before being attached to the foreign ministry in late March, and, finally sent to premature retirement. The sudden removal of the two senior officers from the DGFI just prior to the election is viewed by many as the evidence of their neutral political stance and signs of their dissent to the alleged election tampering blue print. When contacted, Brig. Gen. Bari refuted the veracity of Hasina's food poison story, but confessed to having been asked by superior officers not to pursue corruption cases against AL stalwarts following what he too dubbed as a 'deal making between the military command and the AL prior to the election in December 2008.' Bari said, "they (deal makers) are opportunists and have sold out the nation's interests by being political and partisan." Now in the USA, Bari has been called back by the AL-led Government only five months after he took charge as the defence adviser at the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC. He refused to comply. On other hand, Gen. Amin's closeness with the PM during the time of her captivity has led to uncertainty about his retirement, no one being sure as yet whether he is retired, or still in service. Perturbed by such developments, one observer said, "If you wish to preserve the independence of this country, ensure first that the armed forces in particular - and the bureaucracy in general - learn to remain loyal to the nation, not to any particular political party. |
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