Military will not interfere in politics in Bangladesh: Army Chief

POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Jan 1, 2025 : The military should definitely not interfere in politics. Meddling in politics is harmful for the army. This has happened in the past. We have learned from the past. It has never brought good results. That is why my pledge is that during my tenure as army chief, I will not meddle in politics. I will not let the army interfere in the political sphere. This is my clear pledge. We wholeheartedly believe that the alternative to politicians is politicians. Their alternative is not the army. Many still say that the army is interested in politics or power. The common people have such an idea from past experience! Asked about this, Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-Uz-,Zaman said this in an interview given to a media. The army chief said, ‘The long-term presence of army members in the field creates the risk of getting involved in disorderly activities. Although the number is very small. We immediately punish disciplinary incidents after investigation. Even then, the issue of breach of discipline is embarrassing for us. The day the interim government says, ‘Thank you very much, you have completed your work, now the police will take charge of law and order.’ We will happily return to the cantonment. He said, ‘The opposition party is a great supporting force in politics. The government and the opposition complement each other. It is important to have a strong opposition party in a democratic process. If there is such a process, they can point out each other’s mistakes. There is a balance of power between the government and the opposition. Everyone can perform their duties within their circle. This is very necessary for a country.’ Regarding the reform of political parties, the army chief said, there are good politicians among political parties. Maybe there are people with different opinions too. My past experience says that when such a critical period comes, if we sit with our politicians, they come forward with a spirit of cooperation. What will happen if there is no agreement between the interim government and the political parties? Do you see any such fear? Waqer uz zaman said in this regard, I do not see any such fear. Now an agreement is possible. It is possible to do this by sitting together. It is also a matter of culture. Everyone should understand this. I am not a pessimist. I am always optimistic. How do you see the current labor unrest, strikes or chaos in Bangladesh? To this question, General Waker said, some reasons are logical and in some cases there is incitement. Regarding ‘mob justice’, General Waker believes that extrajudicial killings are very harmful and it is a kind of illness. If someone sees a solution in beating to death, extrajudicial killings, it is wrong. It must be stopped. In the past, the military has done such things in the country’s politics, even during the previous government, a section of the army (DGFI) did such things that gave the army a bad name. I hope that you will not allow this to happen in the future. In other words, is your current position to get rid of the system that was in place before? To this question, he said, DGFI is an independent organization. The army does not want to go into such things, does not want to get involved. We will not do anything that will damage the reputation of the armed forces. We have many issues with India, including water and borders. Recently, I have been hearing and seeing some talks on some unresolved issues. In this regard, he said, India is our important neighbor. We are dependent on India in many ways. India is also getting benefits from us. A lot of their people are working in Bangladesh, both formally and informally. Many people from this country go to India for treatment. We are buying many products from them. So, India has a great interest in the stability of Bangladesh. It is a give-and-take relationship. It has to be based on fairness. Any country will always want to get benefits from other countries. It is not my fault. If I cannot get it, it is my fault too. We have to look at these issues. We have to maintain good relations based on fairness. People should not think that India is dominating Bangladesh or doing something that is against our interests. People should not think that. The main issue for India is Bangladesh’s cooperation in ensuring the security of its northeastern region. They have received assistance in this regard from the previous government. In this regard, General Waker said, I will not do anything with my neighbor that goes against their strategic interests. At the same time, I expect that my neighbor will not do anything with me that goes against my interests. When I look at their interests, they will also look at my interests with equal importance. There will be no instability in our Chittagong Hill Tracts. Stability will not be destroyed on the Myanmar border. They will not kill our people on the border. We will get a fair share of water. There is no problem in that. The relationship should be based on fairness. In the current situation, people are coming forward with various demands. People are disappointed because the prices of goods have not come down. In this context, what message do you want to give to the general public in the country? General Waker said, the country is currently going through a complex and difficult time. At this moment, we should keep our demands limited. Do not disturb the government. Then it will help us maintain law and order. Be patient. Businessmen and industrialists should keep the prices of goods under control. This is not the time for profit. It is important to do something outside of the traditional norms. Because the country is on a difficult path.