The student and public protests in July gradually turned
into an uprising by early August. The death toll was rising. In this situation,
former military officers came out in support of the protesters. On August 2,
they marched around the entire Mirpur DOHS area. Later, they held a rally in
front of the DOHS Cultural Center, where several retired high-ranking military
officers spoke in support of the protesters, urging the military not to fire
upon the students and the public.
The next day, on August 3, Army Chief Waker-Uz-Zaman met
with army officers. During this meeting, the officers expressed their unwillingness
to fire upon the protesters. On August 4, retired military officers held a
press conference at the RAOWA Club, where they called on the government,
stating, “Do not place the army against the students and the public.”
Even on the morning of August 5, the day the Awami League
government was ousted from power, retired military officers and their families
formed a human chain in support of the protesters. However, from August 2 to
August 5, Lieutenant General (Retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury was notably absent
from any protest initiatives led by retired military officers. Sources indicate
he was invited to attend the August 4 press conference as a former high-ranking
military officer. Yet, he did not participate. He maintained the same silence
he had kept for the past fifteen years, like his course mate and former Chief
of Army Staff, General (Retd.) Moeen U Ahmed, who served as the Principal Staff
Officer (PSO) of the Armed Forces during the 1/11 era.
Lieutenant General (Retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury broke
his 15-year silence for the first time on August 16, when he publicly took on
the role of Adviser for Home Affairs in the interim government. It has now been
more than a month since he assumed this position.
Two individuals who played significant roles in the
August 4 press conference have also been appointed to key roles in the interim
government. Lieutenant General (Retd.) Abdul Hafiz has been appointed as the
Special Assistant to Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus, while Brigadier General
(Retd.) M Sakhawat Hossain initially served as Adviser for Home Affairs but was
later reassigned as Adviser to the Ministry of Textiles and Jute, with
Lieutenant General (Retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury taking over the Home Affairs
role.
Since the retired military official took office, there
has been little to no noticeable improvement in the country’s deteriorating law
and order situation over the past month. A large portion of the weapons looted
from police stations after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government has yet to be
recovered, and half of the stolen ammunition is still unaccounted for. During
the police absence, students managed traffic control, and although the traffic
police have since returned to work, road chaos has worsened. There have also
been some brutal lynching incidents in recent times.
Some of these incidents are believed to have resulted
from the failure of intelligence agencies, according to former police
officials. Abdul Kaium, who served as Inspector General of Police (IGP) from
2005-06, shared his thoughts on the current law and order situation with Bonik
Barta, “The clashes in the hills and the incidents at Baitul Mukarram Mosque
are clear signs of intelligence failure. Urgent steps need to be taken here.
The old force must be replaced with new, professional personnel. The same
should be done for the police. Although the Home Affairs Adviser is making
efforts, they must be carried out swiftly. I hope the problems will be resolved
through this government.”
At this moment, Abdul Kaium believes that swift changes
are needed not only in the police force but in other areas as well. He stated,
“There have been some changes within the police, but we must remember that many
individuals from the previous government are still in various positions. The
possibility of counter-revolution still exists. Over the past 15 years, the
police force has been weakened and positioned against the public. It is
essential to improve both their operational status and moral standing rapidly.
Although the interim government has made some progress in certain areas,
immediate steps must be taken to implement further changes.”
Analysts argue that the interim government and its
officials have yet to implement effective reforms that could restore public
confidence in the police. At present, the public does not trust the police
force, leading to incidents where people take the law into their own hands. In
some cases, political or other grievances have manifested as mob justice.
Examples include the deaths of mentally ill Tofazzal at Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall
in Dhaka University, former Jahangirnagar University student Shamim, and former
Rajshahi University student Abdullah Masud. To improve law and order, reforms
must be undertaken, and the police force must also be genuinely activated to
maintain public safety.
Khoda Baksh Chowdhory, former IGP (2006-07), told Bonik
Barta, “From what I’ve read in the newspapers about the current law and order
situation, I don’t find it satisfactory. Neither the advisers nor the general
public are happy with it. The lack of coordination between the police and the
criminal justice system is a major reason. If these two areas are aligned, the
situation will stabilize. However, I believe that the situation will improve
under Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus’s leadership.”
When contacted for comment, interim government’s Home
Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury declined to speak.
Notably, on September 17, in response to the
deteriorating law and order situation, special executive magistrate powers were
granted to army officers across the country, including the capital. According
to a public administration ministry notice, this decision will remain in effect
for two months (60 days) from that date.
Lieutenant General (Retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury’s
silence has been most discussed in relation to the 2009 BDR mutiny. General
(Retd.) Moeen U Ahmed, who was the Army Chief at the time, recently brought up
this issue.
In a video message released on September 5, Moeen U Ahmed
stated, “The army’s investigation committee on the BDR mutiny was led by the
current Home Adviser, Lieutenant General Jahangir Alam Chowdhury. He couldn’t
complete his task properly because many were in jail, and many couldn’t be
questioned. During the army’s investigation, General Jahangir came to me
several times to discuss his problems.”
In the video message, Moeen U Ahmed urged Jahangir Alam
Chowdhury to reopen the investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice. He
added, “If he reorganizes the investigation committee, he can identify those
involved. I requested him to do so after the government was formed.”
On August 25, during a press conference at the Border
Guard Bangladesh (BGB) headquarters in Pilkhana, Dhaka, family members of the
army personnel killed in the 2009 mutiny demanded the release of the
investigation report and justice for the culprits. The victim’s families
alleged that the real culprits were excluded from the trial process.
Ashraful Alam Hannan, son of martyred Central Subedar
Major Nurul Islam, told Bonik Barta, “A false investigation was constructed by
framing BDR members as the culprits. A drama was orchestrated, focusing on
those who were stationed at Pilkhana. At the same time, the real masterminds,
such as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Member of Parliament Sheikh Fazle Noor
Taposh, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, and Sahara Khatun, were left out. Moreover, the
investigation report was edited multiple times, and only a partial version was
made public.”
Regarding the report, Rakin Ahmed, son of Major General
Shakil Ahmed, the then Director General of BDR, told Bonik Barta, “The report
was condensed, and only a portion was revealed. The investigation wasn’t done
properly, nor was the judicial process. We are now calling for a proper
investigation.”
During the much-debated events of the One-Eleven
political crisis, Lieutenant General (Retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, a course
mate of General (Retd.) Moeen U Ahmed, played a crucial role alongside him. In
his book ‘Shantir Swopne (In the Dream of Peace)’, Moeen U Ahmed wrote, “I
discussed the country’s overall situation and the UN’s stance with the heads of
the Navy and Air Force. Everyone agreed that it was necessary to inform the
Honorable President of the situation and seek his guidance. It was decided that
the heads of the three forces, the Principal Staff Officer (PSO) of the Armed
Forces Division (Major General Jahangir Alam Chowdhury), and Brigadier General
Bari of DGFI (who was abroad at that time on an official trip) would meet the
President. At Bangabhaban, we discussed everything with the Honorable
President... After a long silence, the
President eventually agreed to declare a state of emergency nationwide.”
The role of the Army Chief during the One-Eleven crisis
has been subject to extensive discussion and criticism. Some claim that during
the 1990 mass uprising, then Army Chief Nuruddin Khan played a pivotal role by
holding a darbar (gathering) with army personnel to gather their opinions,
which helped resolve the crisis before it escalated. Similarly, during the 2024
mass uprising, the current Army Chief convened a darbar and resolved the
situation by considering everyone’s views. In contrast, Moeen U Ahmed, during
the One-Eleven crisis, chose to bypass the darbar and went directly to the
President with a few others to resolve the situation.
At the time of the emergency declaration, Lieutenant
General Aminul Karim Bhuiyan was the military
secretary to President Iajuddin Ahmed. Speaking to Bonik Barta about the events
of that day, he said, “The main architect of One-Eleven was Army Chief Moeen U
Ahmed. He wanted to impose martial law. However, the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka
intervened, meeting with Major General Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, the then-PSO of
the Armed Forces Division, and discouraged him from doing so. Lieutenant
General Masud Ahmed informed me about this. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury and Moeen U
Ahmed were coursemates and shared a close relationship. Along with them,
Lieutenant General Masud Uddin Chowdhury and Brigadier General Fazlul Bari
played pivotal roles in the events behind One-Eleven.”
He further elaborated, “On January 11, 2007, at
approximately 1:30 pm, Moeen U Ahmed, the three service chiefs, PSO Major
General Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, and acting DG of DGFI Brigadier General Fazlul
Bari went to Bangabhaban. At that time, Moeen U Ahmed showed the President a
letter from the United Nations, although that letter was later proven to be
fake. After about two hours, they left with President Iajuddin Ahmed’s signature.”