PM's maturity and bleeding BDR
WE congratulate Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her sagacious handling of the most serious incidence at BDR headquarters. The PM's stern call over electronic media led to the surrender of arms by the mutineers and the end of a further blood bath. It appears that the government has sought the best political solution to an armed crisis and the result seems to be positive
However, in the same breath, we strongly condemn the atrocities created by a section of the BDR men, keeping the whole nation on edge for two consecutive days and killing a number of innocent officials and normal citizens. To the families who lost their beloved members, we express our deep condolence. Our concern over its impact on the economy needs to mention.
BDR to Bangladesh is what BSF is to India. In fact, every country has its own border security forces engaged in the preservation of national sovereignty. The importance of this force is no less than others engaged in our national security. Any indiscipline here could immediately jeopardise our national sovereignty.
Special mention my be made of the role of BDR in our liberation war, to appreciate its historic importance. Unfortunately, however, the happenings over the most recent days have cast a serious cloud on the image and integrity of this important national force.
But why did it happen? The state of things, as revealed so far, tends to show that our security system stands on discriminatory, inefficient, and wasteful pillars. Why should our border security force enjoy less privilege than others? What role the intelligence agencies could play in conveying the pent up pains of the soldiers to the higher authority?
In the name of state security, the public money spent on the forces and the corruptions that go along with it hardly comes to public domain for a public debate. Unfortunately, past governments miserably failed to address these issues. We can only hope that the present government would take necessary steps to learn from past mistakes.
But given the grievances, there is no reason why a large number of trained officials should be killed. The officials come from our national pride, the army. The BDR soldiers could have aired their anger or ventilate their arguments in a number of ways.
For example, they could privately approach parliament members to raise the issues in the parliament. They could also keep the insiders hostage till demands are met. Unfortunately, the ways the things flared up seems to suggest that a third party might have fueled the fire to embarrass the newly elected government.
There are a number of questions cropping up. First, how could soldiers get arms instantly from the store that lies almost one km away from the darbar hall? Second, why should thousands of jawans leave the hall as if they knew before what was to come next? Third, how could thousands of the jawans flee despite the fact that the whole area was cordoned? Fourth, the killings, tortures, and disposal of dead bodies seems to indicate that the whole episode was pre-planned and done in a systematic fashion.
These are few of the questions that are now in the public mind and we need an answer. We strongly suggest that a parliamentary enquiry committee be formed to examine the involvement of outside instigations, if any. Meantime, and as has already been started through formation of an enquiry committee, the allegations of the jawans should seriously be taken into cognisance. Our security forces should be brought more under public scrutiny. Each dollar spent on them should be debated in the parliament as it happens for other government agencies. The age-old laws and regulations governing them should be updated to meet upcoming challenges.
Once again, we condemn the killing inside BDR headquarter and mourn the deaths of the valiant officers. We hope that the dust will settle soon and our security forces will regain their lost momentum and prestige. The government's sincere and praiseworthy efforts at resolving the crises should streamline things fast.
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