Bangladesh has been ranked 37th among the 145 countries considered for the annual Global Firepower review in 2024. Among the South Asian nations, Bangladesh is currently in the 37th position in terms of military strength. The countries ahead of Bangladesh in the region are – India (4th), Pakistan (9th), and Myanmar(35th) and the nations trailing the country are – Sri Lanka (75th), Nepal (128th) and Bhutan (145th). For many, this could be a matter of pride. But today, we are forced to ask - what purpose does the Bangladesh army serve? Is the army actually protecting interests of Bangladesh and its people? If not, why do we even need this army at all?
The Bangladesh army is a well-funded institution, with the budget allocation icreasing every year. In 2024-25 fiscal year, government of Bangladesh announced a defence budget of BDT423.6 billion (USD3.6 billion) for 2024–25. Proposed in parliament on 6 June, the new expenditure represents a 11% increase over the revised defence budget for 2023–24. This represents a steady trend over past 5 decades. There have been also some major procurements just over the past year - in April 2024 the Bangladesh Armed Forces took delivery of three Norinco CS/AA3 twin-barrel anti-aircraft gun systems from China, and in 2023 the Bangladesh Army Aviation corps acquired six Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles from Türkiye.
But the question remains, what is the army doing with all this? The army rakes in a lot of money, and maintains a thriving military industrial complex and other business interests, but it has failed in doing what it was supposed to do - protect the interests of the country. Bangladesh’s military is more concerned with profit and power than defending the country, and has been incapable of showing strength in the face of repeated violations of air, land and sea from Mayanmar military, among others. The influence of India in the matters of Bangladesh has gone to the extent that it is said the chief of Bangladesh army is appointed from New Delhi. This was not always the case; the transformation began in earnest when Sheikh Hasina killed off patriotic elements in the army while using India's help to curb the BDR mutiny in 2009.
Sheikh Hasina then used the opportunity of the BDR mutiny, and the vaccum it had created, to place officers and generals loyal to her in every nook and cranny in the army command. The current army chief General Waker-uz-Zaman is married to Sheikh Hasina's cousin, and conforms to her every whim, ensuring the army is firmly in Hasina's hand. As it stands, the army command, with the bahini under it, has become just another tool of autocracy in Bangladesh, and lacks any independence. Some of its elite members, such as RAB, have also been accused of involvement with horrific human rights abuses - torture, unlawful detention, extrajudicial killings, as well as enforced disappearances. In return, army command personnel enjoy massive benefits, lead extravagant lifestyles, and go on lucrative UN 'peacekeeping' missions, no questions asked.
But does this mean all of the army is bad and rotten? Of course not, there are good people there, I am sure, as evidenced by general army people maintaining law and order in places and some expressedly stating they do not want to fire on protesters. But my argument regarding this institution is just not contingent on whether the army is good or bad, there is the broader question of whether this institution in its current form is sustainable or useful.
Moreover, the student protests have managed to expose the spineless nature of the army command today. In July 2024, the Bangladesh Army was seen using U.N marked vehicles during the curfew imposed by the government for controlling quota reform movement. Secretary General of United Nations, António Guterres expressed his concerns and urged the government to ensure a conducive environment for dialogue and encouraged protesters to engage in dialogue to resolve the deadlock. His spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric expressed concern over reports of UN-marked vehicles being used during the protests and stated that such vehicles should only be used for official UN peacekeeping or political missions, adding that he had raised the issue to the Bangladeshi government. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk urged the government to engage with student protesters and to stop the violence.
The threats may just have worked for now. Despite videos showing general army personnel firing at protesters in the early days of the 'shoot-at-sight' orders, they have since stopped firing on protesters, and latest talk-of-the-town indicates thee aemy upper command are not yet willing to give up either their benefits or their image just yet, although this may change at any moment. Clearly, the Bangladesh army command lacks any moral will whatsoever, preferring profit/gain/inertia over any definitive action; indeed one may see the Bangladesh army in its current form as an ornamental institution, a prettily clad doll army, if you will, and they want it to stay that way.
What should be done to this clearly useless spineless institution that is unable to protect this country, and has acted like a coward, both by being conspicuously silent in the name of 'no to politics' or either by firing at innocent unarmed protesters? I say, after we force the dictator to step down from her lofty masnad, we dismantle this white elephant of an institution. I heartily agree with Mahmudur Rahman that we need an army like Abu Sayeed, not a cowardly one like the present army; the Bangladesh army must be restructured after being mostly dismantled. As in countries such as Turkey, compulsory military service could be demanded of all male citizens from 21 to 41 years of age; a minimum 6 months for all males regardless of education degree. A minimum amount necessary for a border force could be retained, while people of the country themselves would be enough to defend the country's interests. Then the army would cease to exist like body fat, cease remaining the autocrat's big fearful bat. The country would also have more money for better things - education, roads and more welfare.
No comments:
Post a Comment