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Download PDF Several former top army officials yesterday stressed the need for a thorough purge of political parties with emphasis on stopping their criminal activities and corruption, and depoliticisation of the public institutions to make them functional for democracy.
Strongly opposing the idea of keeping the state of emergency in effect for too long or instituting a martial law in the country, they said at a roundtable in the capital that the political parties will ultimately rule the country to fulfil the people’s expectation.
The former army officials suggested utilising expertise of the armed forces for correcting the voter roll, making voter identity cards, recovery of illegal firearms and for stopping the use of black money during elections, as they were deliberating on what to do next against the backdrop of the prevailing state of emergency ‘declared following a grave political crisis that threatened national security and economy’.
Hailing the role of the army during natural calamities and in strengthening democracy in other countries, the speakers asked them to show patriotism in creating a congenial atmosphere for holding the next general election and for strengthening democracy.
The vernacular daily Prothom Alo organised the roundtable titled ‘The State of the Country: State of Emergency and the Imperatives’ at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel yesterday.
“While the country was advancing towards a civil war like situation following confrontations and bloodshed due to the two political alliances locking horns, the armed forces successfully took some steps to rein in the situation,” said moderator Motiur Rahman, editor of the Prothom Alo.
Some of the participants suggested that the army should stay in the field until the necessary tasks are done, may it be for six months or a year, before holding the parliamentary election and handing over of power to elected representatives.
Regretting the failure in developing a true democratic culture since restoration of democracy in 1991, security analyst Brig Gen (retd) Sakhawat Husain said
\Several former top army officials yesterday stressed the need for a thorough purge of political parties with emphasis on stopping their criminal activities and corruption, and depoliticisation of the public institutions to make them functional for democracy.
Strongly opposing the idea of keeping the state of emergency in effect for too long or instituting a martial law in the country, they said at a roundtable in the capital that the political parties will ultimately rule the country to fulfil the people’s expectation.
The former army officials suggested utilising expertise of the armed forces for correcting the voter roll, making voter identity cards, recovery of illegal firearms and for stopping the use of black money during elections, as they were deliberating on what to do next against the backdrop of the prevailing state of emergency ‘declared following a grave political crisis that threatened national security and economy’.
Hailing the role of the army during natural calamities and in strengthening democracy in other countries, the speakers asked them to show patriotism in creating a congenial atmosphere for holding the next general election and for strengthening democracy.
The vernacular daily Prothom Alo organised the roundtable titled ‘The State of the Country: State of Emergency and the Imperatives’ at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel yesterday.
“While the country was advancing towards a civil war like situation following confrontations and bloodshed due to the two political alliances locking horns, the armed forces successfully took some steps to rein in the situation,” said moderator Motiur Rahman, editor of the Prothom Alo.
Some of the participants suggested that the army should stay in the field until the necessary tasks are done, may it be for six months or a year, before holding the parliamentary election and handing over of power to elected representatives.
Regretting the failure in developing a true democratic culture since restoration of democracy in 1991, security analyst Brig Gen (retd) Sakhawat Husain said through the years the public institutions have been politicised and damaged.
“Corruption by political parties failed to integrate the people and it is best understood by noticing that 90 percent of the people welcomed the state of emergency.”
Asking to include members of social think-tanks and other experts in the caretaker government cabinet, he proposed that the current caretaker government should run the country for six months or more to root out corruption from the electoral process before holding the next election.
Asking for reconstitution of the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC), he proposed formation of an independent police commission to depoliticise the police administration.
Terming the calling out of the army in aid of the civil administration as ‘positive’, former army chief and BNP lawmaker Lt Gen (retd) Muhammad Mahbubur Rahman said the army may assist the civil administration in apprehending criminals’ godfathers, and in recovering illegal firearms which are strong obstacles to holding a free and fair election.
Echoing the Prothom Alo editor, defence analyst and columnist Maj Gen (retd) Syed Muhammad Ibrahim alluded that the army played a very important role in declaring the state of emergency to ’save the nation from destruction’.
The constitution does not say anything about postponing parliamentary elections for natural calamities or other situations, he added.
He proposed formation of a constitution reform commission during the caretaker government (CG) regime as the CG itself does not have the power to reform the constitution.
Strongly criticising the political parties for not registering with the government, he asked the CG to launch a campaign through the media for their reform.
“No government made any list of criminal godfathers in 36 years,” he said, suggesting preparation of such a list with the help of the media.
He also opposed the use of the army in capturing petty criminals, saying arrests of innocent people besides the criminals, as was seen in the last few days, will tarnish the image of the armed forces.
Talking about his opposition to Prof Iajuddin Ahmed’s previous attempts to call out the army, Lt Gen (retd) Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury, a former army chief and adviser to Iajuddin-led caretaker government, said, “It appeared quite clear to me then that the objective of the calling out the army was to frighten some specific political quarters. The law enforcers themselves were able to tackle the situation prevailing back then.”
He asked not to task the army with anything that can make it controversial, and said, “The army is not an alternative to democracy. They can only assist it.”
Asked by Prothom Alo Joint Editor Abdul Qaiyum about what can be done to ensure that the army will not have to be in the field for long while the people’s expectations will also be fulfilled, Hasan Mashhud replied wisdom and strategic savvy are required to achieve such a goal.
“The political parties should be made to understand that doing anything anytime in the name of the people is not democracy.”
Saying that 100 percent of the people supported the declaration of emergency, Maj Gen (retd) Golam Qader said the army and the people can help the CG in correcting the voter roll, making the voter IDs, and in strengthening the EC, judiciary and the Public Service Commission, which have been damaged through the years.
Opposing the belief that the country had been heading towards a civil war, Lt Gen (retd) M Harun-Ar-Rashid said it is not the army’s job to free the public institutions of corruption, rather the root causes should be addressed. The people need to be made aware to ensure political parties’ accountability, he said.
Suggesting using the army in voter roll correction and in stopping the use of black money during elections, he however cautioned, “The armed forces may loose acceptability if they stay in the field for too long.”
Saying that the state of emergency is not a solution, defence analyst Brig Gen (retd) Shahedul Anam Khan asked for honest and clean candidates in the next election. “The parliamentarians should be accountable to the people and not to any Bhaban or Sadan,” he said.
Strongly criticising political parties for their corruption and greed for power, and for politicising the administration and public institutions, Maj Gen (retd) Amin Ahmed Chowdhury asked the officials of the republic not to act as lackeys of the political parties.
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