Govt to ensure justice for deprived armed forces personnel: Chief Adviser

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus said that the government will ensure justice for the members of the Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force who were unfairly discriminated and oppressed during the previous government, as well as other government officials and employees who were deprived of justice.

He made this comment after handing over the report to the chief adviser of the committee formed to review the applications of retired and dismissed officers who suffered discrimination, deprivation, injustice and revenge in the service of Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Air Force during the period from 2009 to 04 August 2024 during the previous government's tenure at the Rashtriya Guest House Yamuna.

“When I tasked you to do this work, I thought there might have been some minor irregularities, but the overall picture you have brought out is absolutely horrifying. It is beyond imagination,” said the chief adviser.

The chief counsel thanked all the members of the committee for bringing out the truth with complete professionalism and sincerity.

Chairman of the Committee and Special Assistant to Chief Adviser on Defense and National Integration Development retired Lt. Gen. Abdul Hafeez, committee members Major General (retd) Muhammad Shams-ul-Huda, Major General (retd) Sheikh Pasha Habib Uddin, Rear Admiral (retd) Mohammad Shafiul Azam and Air Vice Marshal (retd) Muhammad Shafkat Ali attended the meeting.

The committee received a total of 733 applications. scrutinized and made recommendations in respect of 145 applications.

Abdul Hafiz said that the committee formed to review the application form called the first meeting on August 19, 2025. Deprived officers are asked to submit applications through Central Officers Record Office, ISPR and Retired Officers Association Rawa through WhatsApp messages, print and electronic media and TV scrolls by 21 September 2025.

General Abdul Hafeez said, with some exceptions, there were no moral lapses of punishment or complaint recorded in the dossier against those on whom the board formed by the respective forces had given recommendations.

The Committee has taken into account the recommendations of the Board constituted by the respective forces and beyond them the Committee has made recommendations based on the information received in the relevant applications and through interviews with the applicants.

General Hafiz said that the members of the committee gave their opinion on many applicants, presented their opinion freely to the committee about the correctness of the application and the justification of the deprivation.

He said the committee ascertained their deprivation by interviewing the affected officers and in some cases by contacting their captains and senior officers over the phone.

According to the investigation of the committee, six of the petitioners were kept illegally for various periods (from 1 year to 8 years) due to political affiliation of their relatives or slander of militant affiliation, which is unprecedented in the history of Bangladesh. Even a retired officer was brutally killed in a militant play, later the officer's wife was jailed for six years without trial along with a one-year-old child on charges of militant involvement.

The investigation also revealed that a number of officers were vocal about the inaction of the government in the infernal incident of the BDR massacre on 25 February 2009, five of whom were subjected to extensive torture in a bogus case (Barrister Tapas murder attempt case).

Investigation revealed that five officers were dismissed from service on false charges or without charges while working in the DGFI during the 1/11 caretaker government.

The investigation revealed that some officers were deputed by the army headquarters to question the then prime minister after the BDR massacre. At one stage there was a lot of uproar and uproar in the said court, five officers were unduly blamed and dismissed from service without giving them any opportunity to defend themselves.

The investigation also revealed that four junior officers (Lieutenant rank) were unfairly dismissed from service as followers of a particular party or tagged as militants due to religious observance.

According to the report of the committee, recommendations have been made regarding 114 officers who are deprived and discriminated against in the army. The Committee recommends that they be granted (as applicable) normal retirement, promotion, pre-retirement promotion, arrears of pay and allowances and fringe benefits. The committee recommended re-instating four of them.

The Committee recommends the granting of normal retirement, promotion, pre-retirement promotion, arrears of pay and allowances and incidentals to 19 officers (as applicable) who are disadvantaged and discriminated against in the Navy.

The Committee recommends the payment of normal retirement, promotion, pre-retirement promotion, arrears of pay and allowances and fringe benefits to 12 officers (as applicable) who are deprived and discriminated against in the Air Force.

The meeting was attended by Md Ashraf Uddin and Chief Adviser Military Secretary Major General Abul Hasnat Mohammad Tariq among others.

Salahuddin/sa