The enemy may strike again
THE BDR mutiny is the worst tragedy which has struck and traumatised the nation since August 15,1975. While the enquiry committees and CID investigations will be trying to find out who conspired and led the mutiny, who killed the officers and looted their houses, and bring to light such facts as would facilitate speedy trial and deterrent punishment of the mutineers, this AL government must not be complacent to think that the crisis is over.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina must remember that it was Khandaker Mushtaque, a front-line AL leader and a confidante of Bangabandhu and some other AL leaders who in league with other forces enacted the tragedy befalling the nation on August 15, 1975 which sent AL into political wilderness for decades.
Initial handling of the BDR mutiny by the government suggests that the prime minister was perhaps kept in the dark about the full scale and magnitude of the horror perpetrated by the mutineers, of some 60-65 senior army officers including the force commander Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed and his wife having been already killed brutally by the mutineers on February 25.
What the people were being told instead that day via the television stations was a litany of BDR grievances they had been suffering at the hands of the army officers commanding the force.
Those who went to negotiate with the mutineers on behalf of the government did not apparently bother to find out and tell the people what had actually happened with the army officers. All we, the people of this country, came to know was that these negotiators had brought with them a group of mutineers to meet the prime minister.
What transpired in the meeting was a declaration of general amnesty for the mutineers by the prime minister and delay by the mutineers to surrender their arms which in effect never happened because the mutineers melted away, some in the darkness of night and some in broad daylight, scaling over the back wall in civilian clothes.
A mutiny in the military and in a paramilitary force is usually put down by force before it escalates and infects other forces. Unfortunately BDR mutiny was dealt with as if it were a hostage crisis. The result is before us. The mutineers had enough time to commit more horrendous atrocities, dump the dead bodies, remove or tamper with vital evidence, and flee away, creating an alibi that they knew nothing of the atrocities as they ran away from the scene panic-stricken.
That such a bloody mutiny was being planned days if not months ahead was not known to people and agencies whose job it was to know and pre-empt it is a serious lapse which can hardly be condoned. If democracy means accountability then some heads should have rolled by now.
The home minister whose ministry is the controlling authority of BDR should have resigned by now because she so ignominiously failed not only to prevent the BDR mutiny but also to handle the post-mutiny situation effectively as expected of her. It is not good enough to change the home secretary.
Given that the DG BDR knew nothing of the mutiny of his force because his internal BDR intelligence was perhaps neutralised. But what about other national intelligence agencies? How come they knew nothing of such a mutiny ? Either they knew about it and did not keep the appropriate authorities posted suitably or they knew nothing about it. Both ways they are guilty. All the intelligence chiefs have to answer. In a democracy they ought to resign or be made to resign. Sooner this is done, the better.
The present AL government ought to know better that religio-political forces inimical to our Liberation War and other anti-AL elements would not rest until they have established their complete sway in politics and that they might go to any length to destabilise politics in this country before the government succeeds in punishing the killers of Bangabandhu murder case and the collaborators involved in war crimes and crimes against humanity in 1971.
The BDR mutiny is part of the grand plan to weaken the army by depriving it of its leadership capabilities and by fomenting dissension and discord in its rank and file. After BDR mutiny the next target could very well be the army itself. In the past these forces have successfully played their anti-India card and caused immense damage to this nation by fomenting mutinies in the army.
It is worth mentioning that there was a movement afoot particularly in the private TV channels through talk shows towards the latter part of the last caretaker government in which speakers would deliberately pick on the caretaker government and essentially the army leadership for what they called a vendetta against politicians and businessmen indicted on massive corruption and wrong-doing. They alleged that innocent and honest people have been rounded up, harassed, and mistreated in clear violation of fundamental human rights.
They would have us believe that if there had been no 1/11, milk and honey would have flown in this country. The caretaker government, nay the army leadership, the talk show speakers would argue and the moderator would approvingly nod his head, had taken the country for a ride and denied the people all conceivable progress and development for the last two years.
Palpably, a good deal of frustration and anger was directed against the army leadership for alleged violation of the constitution in lengthening the caretaker rule beyond 90 days and in promulgating ordinances other than those relating to election and budgetary provisions.
The speakers demanded that who so ever was responsible for unconstitutional rule must be brought to justice. This was a very vicious and malicious campaign against the army leadership. I wish there could be a replay of those TV talk shows today.
Those who planned BDR mutiny must have fully exploited the anti-army sentiments in the media and even in the Jatiya Sangsad deliberations by MPs who spoke of their indictment and incarceration.
They found the assembly of so many army officers in Pilkhana on the occasion of annual BDR week an opportune moment to strike at the officers as a big target. They may strike again at another target and at another soft belly to destabilise this government.
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