Probe into Military Killings Long Overdue

The American writer and journalist, Lawrence Lifschultz's call for setting up of an independent commission to investigate disappearances of the members of the Bangladesh Army is a long overdue one (Probe disappearances, unresolved killings). Unfortunately, this demand for justice from the families of victims of crude power struggles of some over-ambitious army commanders has never been highlighted by the local press.

It required a foreign journalist's plea to a sympathetic government and favorable political environment to be printed in the local press (allegedly governments under both BNP and General Ershad had denied his visa requests). Mr Lifschultz was a key witness in the case heard by a High Court bench, also under the current government, that ruled Col Taher's execution by a military court as an unlawful killing. (Trial of Taher illegal)

Reports appearing in Bangladesh press quoting Mr Lifschultz indicate that his call was for only to probe into the upheavals that took place during 1977 & 78. But, such a narrow-focused investigation may not be helpful at all; rather it may stoke further controversy as some may argue that it's a blatant attempt for further politicisation of the army. Any probe into the affairs of the Bangladesh military should be a wide-ranging one beginning from its inception and inclusive of other branches of the defense force -i.e. - the Air Force.

The list might be a lengthy one as the Army in Bangladesh never shied away from exploiting opportunities that had arisen out of endless political squabbling among major parties. Therefore, any such probe must include the issues like absorption of freedom fighters and returnees from Pakistan, coups and counter coups between 1975 and 1978, involvement of defense apparatus including military intelligence in politics, assassinations of both the founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Ziaur Rahman, forcing President Sattar out of the Office by General Ershad, failed attempts by General Nasim and the role of General Moyeen U Ahmed during the political crisis in 2007.

The proposed probe commission, however, needs to be acceptable to all the major parties and a truly independent one with a broader remit and unfettered access to military and state records. If such a commission can establish the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about Bangladesh's military history, perhaps, that will one day pave the way for consensus on national issues and the country can move forward towards development.