Bangladesh Minister's Comment May Harm Country's Armed Forces

March 15, 2009 - PRLog -- General [Retired] Moinul Hussain Chowdhury, in a television talk-show on Sunday evening said the comments of Commerce Minister Lieutenant Colonel [Retired] Faruk Khan will have a severe negative impact on members of Bangladesh Armed Forces serving in United Nation’s Peace Keeping Force [UNPKF].

Faruk Khan on February 12, 2009 said the banned militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh [JMB] was involved in the BDR mutiny staged February 25-26 at the border force’s headquarters in Dhaka, in which a large number of army officers were brutally killed.

The ex-military man now a politician, also the coordinator for the probe bodies extensively investigating into the mutiny compounded with the massacre at Bangladesh Riffles [BDR] headquarters.

“We have so far identified some persons in the BDR who are associated with JMB,” Faruk said, claiming to be based on feedback from the investigators.

Through this statement, Lt. Col. Faruk Khan, who is one of the heavyweight ministers in the present government in Bangladesh, has categorically tried to say that, Islamist militancy has penetrated Bangladesh’s law enforcing and disciplined forces. This will even open the window for anti-Bangladesh forces in hunting similar elements within the armed forces in the country.

Such public statement of the minister will certainty put a severe negative impact on the image of Bangladeshi forces working in UNPKF for years with high repute. There are reasons to believe that, such statement of Faruk Khan was not any mere madness, but a part of pre-planned conspiracy against the disciplined forces of the country.

For such unforgivable offense, Faruk Khan should not only be ousted from the cabinet forthwith, specific criminal charges should be brought against him for conspiring against Bangladesh Army and other disciplined forces of the country. And also there is room to raise question as to why this man leaked information on the ‘investigation process’ before it was made public. Moreover, such statement from the minister will certainly put tremendous influence on the report of the investigation committee.

From the file and rank of Faruk Khan, who retired from army as a lieutenant colonel evidently proves that, in military service he was never a brilliant or bright officer. For such reason, naturally his career came to pause just after reaching the secondary level of military positions. So, he has no authority to make any such comment by taking the advantage of his being an ex army man.

Vested interest groups are already active in cashing the comment of Faruk Khan in creating problems for Bangladeshi forces in UNPKF saying, some of them might have militancy alliance. And for obvious reason, such propaganda of the vested interest groups are getting ground with the substantial evidence of the controversial statement of the Bangladeshi minister.

While the investigation into the February’s BDR Massacre goes on, an immediate inquiry should be initiated to find out the mystery behind such blatant and mad comments of minister Faruk Khan. This is not a mere funny statement by a clown but a statement to be recorded as official document by many.

# # #

Blitz Publications is a growing publication company in Bangladesh. The company also own two periodicals. Weekly Blitz is the English language tabloid newspaper published on every Wednesday and Jamjamat is the vernacular weekly published every Thursday.