Online Desk  :   Former army chief General (Retd) Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan recently published a six-part facebook write-up revealing some never-before-heard stories of rogue army officer Ziaul Ahsan and the army’s involvement with Awami League-era “criminal” security agencies. In the write-up, Iqbal Karim reflects on his attempts to keep army officers away from Ansar, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), the Special Security Force (SSF) and others amid growing signs that these agencies were engaging in extra-judicial killings and other forms of human rights violations during the Awami League regime. Iqbal Karim’s stance against human rights violations by army members put him in conflict with Ziaul Ahsan, who Iqbal claimed even thought of murdering the ex-army chief.

Expelled major general Ziaul Ahsan was allegedly involved in enforced disappearances,extra-judicial killings, tapping phones of opponents and other crimes. He is believed to have played crucial roles in Awami League-backed violence on Hefazat-e-Islami activists at Shapla Chattar, last year’s July uprising and the Narayanganj seven-murder incident. Now, with the Awami League government ousted and its leaders on the run, Ziaul has been kept behind bars, pending numerous trials. Iqbal Karim’s reflections on Ziaul’s rise are noteworthy for the political enthusiasts.After taking over as the army chief on 25 June 2012, Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan had informed then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that he wanted to withdraw army personnel from RAB as they were getting involved in extrajudicial killings. He believed that army officers, while working alongside the police, were being morally corrupt. Sheikh Hasina agreed, mentioning that RAB was worse than even the “Rakkhi Bahini.” However, no changes occurred in the situation. Later, Sheikh Hasina pressured Iqbal Karim to send more army personnel to RAB.

Iqbal Karim also revealed that he had directed Ziaul Ahsan to take steps to halt “crossfire” operations, but this was not implemented. He declared Ziaul unwanted in sensitive areas of Dhaka cantonment. As Ziaul’s behaviour became more unruly, a few senior military officers were tasked with bringing him under control. However, those officers reported that his mind was “filled with stones or bricks,” making it impossible to convince him. The former army chief further mentioned that Ziaul Ahsan started challenging his orders using his close ties with then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s security advisor General Tariq Siddique, military secretary, and the assistant military secretary. Iqbal Karim also commented on the appointment of young army officers to RAB and other units, expressing surprise that officers as young as 20 or 21 were given responsibilities that had no connection to their actual military service. He stated that they didn’t even understand what they were doing or why, which he attributed to the failure of the Bangladesh Military Academy (BMA) to properly train cadets as “thoughtful leaders.”

Supporting the dissolution of RAB, Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan wrote, “We have reached a point where urgent decisions regarding RAB are necessary. I would request the army chief to recommend to the government that this institution be disbanded. If that is not possible, then military officers should be permanently withdrawn from RAB. The current army chief has the independence to do this, which previous army chiefs did not have. For this reason, I urge him to complete what we were unable to do.” In response to the former army chief’s statement, Lieutenant Colonel Sam-Ud-Doula Chowdhury, director of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), told Kaler Kantho, “He is a former member of the army and a former army chief. What he has written is his personal opinion. ISPR has no comment on this.”

Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan also claimed that he tried to prevent newly deployed officers in RAB from engaging in inhumane crimes. He said he explained to them that killing a person while blindfolded was cowardly, and true bravery was confronting the enemy face-to-face. However, within days, the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) informed the army chief that his efforts were in vain, as Ziaul Ahsan was encouraging the officers to kill. Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan mentioned a few exceptions, such as two officers who refused to carry out an extrajudicial killing order and were later rehabilitated honourably in the army. He also described how an officer, after joining RAB, became involved in a case of extrajudicial killing and was warned by Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan, but later posted a photo on Facebook of him standing in the middle of the Shapla chaos with Ziaul Ahsan.

Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan also discussed his decision not to send officers to RAB, DGFI, or BGB. Despite pressure from the Prime Minister’s office and other military officials, he said he remained firm in his decision. He even had a confrontation with Colonel Ziaul, who had the DMI removed, and the military’s involvement in these operations continued under heavy lobbying. Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan said he refused to send more officers to these agencies, despite requests from the Prime Minister.