Reorganisation of the BDR
THE draft paper dealing with the reorganisation of the Bangladesh Rifles is with the government awaiting approval. We do not know the details but would hope that the government would let the public in on the major changes that are being contemplated. Otherwise, there will be unnecessary speculation and more disinformation, deliberate or otherwise, for example, the news about the proposed curtailing of BDR manpower, which is not true.
The matter is the talk of the town. And thanks to the international and national radio and other electronic media, one has come to know as much about the various opinions on the matter as about the many misperceptions about the command, control and function of the BDR.
One might add that the ignorance (not surprisingly) of the nitty-gritty is not restricted to the common man only but, surprisingly, also those who should know better have offered views that are as far from the actual, from as much as one has been able to verify.
Reorganisation of a force is a constant process and is an indispensable part of any organisation that wants to retain its dynamism and be in keeping with the changing environment within which it operates. As it is, remodelling of the border force was a pressing need that the government should have addressed of its own volition but which it constrained to take in hand only because of the regrettable 25/2 incident. And what makes the matter evoke so much public interest is the backdrop against which the force is being recast. Given that the government investigation remains incomplete, and the initiation of the legal process is yet to start, it has assumed even greater significance than it would have had otherwise.
And one wonders whether the legal process can really commence basing on a partial report. And if, as we were given to understand by the home minister's comments that the charge sheets would be framed on the basis of the inquiry report, will that be possible under the circumstances.
One hopes that the government will make public the full report, although a seven-page summary was issued to the press after the report was handed over to the home minister, perhaps for the first time that has happened in this country.
From what one has been able to gather so far, the suggested force structure will revamp the organisation and make it more effective since the control and command will be decentralised once the proposed regional structure is put into operation. And contrary to what one has heard in some section of the media, the strength of the force is being increased considerably to be able to cater to the blind spots of the border. And among other things, new measures are being envisaged to provide the BOP patrol with limited mobility and flexibility. Making up the potential shortage of manpower from retired military personnel is a good idea as long as it remains a temporary expedient.
These are all very well and good. But there several issues that one feels one must comment on for whatever it is worth.
The first and foremost is the matter of command of the force by military officers. There can never be an alternative to it. Given that the secondary role of the BDR is to beef up the army on the ground during outbreak of hostility, and it will have to perform classical tactical tasks that can be directed by officers who are trained and well versed in it. Those who are talking about doing away with army officers altogether are either ignorant or speaking with motives that are questionable.
Frankly, what is known but not so much talked about is that much of the inefficiency and vice that had afflicted some BDR troops since long have been removed, made possible primarily because of the presence of very high grade army officers seconded to the BDR, which was not the case till very recently. However, this does not preclude having officers from within the force itself, but that can be only up to a particular level.
The task of the border force is such that it will not allow any other arrangement. And if, from what one heard about the government thinking of employing retired officers to fill in the vacancy, and would gradually replace the military officers from within border force, (this was, as I am told, voiced in a TV discussion) is true, it would be simply courting disaster.
I am very averse too to the idea of changing the BDR uniform except on operational grounds, and also its name. We must respect tradition, and it is not that the entire force was involved with the massacre. In any case, the process to disband some of the units that were directly involved is underway, very rightly. I would also suggest that wearing of army uniform by officers presently posted in the BDR should be discontinued, if not done so already. This only enhances the psychological gap between the commanders and their troops and leaves them feeling unwanted, a situation that must not be allowed to occur at all.
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