On 10 February 2021 the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) did the unthinkable and demanded a UN investigation into alleged corruption in the country’s military. The call followed an  Al Jazeera   documentary  alleging that the army’s chief secretly provided illegal support to his two fugitive brothers, with the tacit approval of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. It also claimed that the army acquired Israeli-made spying equipment that can be used against the opposition and critics of the government. The opposition’s demand followed an earlier call from the United Nations. Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, told reporters: ‘The allegation of corruption is a serious matter that should be investigated by the relevant authorities’. He also rebuffed the  army’s claim  that the surveillance equipment was meant for UN peacekeeping operations. The government has so far ignored these demands, with no immediate fall out. But given the co...

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...