No scope for 'mobs' to belittle freedom fighters or Liberation War: Army
Highlights:
- Freedom fighters' legacy cannot be undermined through mob
- Zero tolerance against mob violence
- Army ready for polls, awaits EC directives
- It has no involvement in Ducsu polls
- 80% of looted arms, ammo recovered
- Troops intervened in Kakrail, CU, and Uttara EPZ clashes
The Bangladesh Army has warned that attempts to undermine the honour of freedom fighters or the Liberation War through "mob" actions will not be tolerated.
"Bangladesh was born through the great Liberation War. Just as we have always honoured the freedom fighters with the deepest respect in the past, we continue to do so today and will continue to do so in the future. There is no scope for any 'mob' or anything else to belittle the freedom fighters or the Liberation War," colonel staff of military operations directorate Colonel M Shafiqul Islam told a press conference at Dhaka Cantonment today (8 September).
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"There is zero tolerance against mobs. Wherever and whenever a mob has formed, the army has promptly arrived and brought the situation under control. In a few places, the delay occurred because of late information from sources."
He also said the army was ready to perform duties during the planned February national election while it awaits directives from the Election Commission (EC).
"The military will discharge its duties in line with the Election Commission directives. We, however, are yet to get any formal [EC] directives."
He added that the army expects to receive directives soon and would perform its duties with utmost professionalism.
Colonel Shafiqul also said the army has no involvement in the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) election and spreading propaganda over the issue would be of no use.
Asked for comments about the recovery of the lost weapons during the chaotic situation of last year's July Uprising, the colonel staff said nearly 80% of the arms were recovered so far.
He said of the 12,119 stolen or looted weapons 9,794 were recovered and of the 30,090 lost ammunitions 287,359 rounds were recaptured.
Colonel Shafiqul expected the rest of the missing arms and ammunitions could soon be recovered as well.
The military spokesman said the military, which is now on law enforcement duties as well, arrested 17,926 people on charges of various crimes so far and 1,294 of them in the last one month alone.
These elements, he said, belonged to what are called "juvenile gangs", listed criminals, wanted robbers, extortionists and suspects of other crimes.
He said in the past one month the army troops simultaneously seized 65 illegally possessed weapons and 297 ammunitions during their anti-crime operations particularly against gangsters or robbers.
The army operations directorate official also spoke about the late last month's violence erupted at Kakrail area involving Gano Odhikar Parisad and Jatiya Party when the military troops intervened on 29 August.
The colonel staff reiterated the previous ISPR statement by saying that the troops emerged at the scene when police failed to tame the situation and despite requests from the law enforcement personnel, the activists turned violent.
He said five army soldiers and six policemen were wounded as well during the violence when the windshields of a military pickup van too were broken.
The military spokesman also clarified the military role in the Chittagong University violence erupted between students and residents of a neighborhood village after 31 August midnight.
He said some police vehicles were vandalised and several policemen were injured in the clash and the troops there too intervened at the police call and normalised the situation by the early morning next day
The colonel staff said that on 2 September, Evergreen Company workers created panic in Uttara EPZ of Nilphamari protesting against their unpaid wages and illegal layoffs of workers when several policemen and six army soldiers were wounded and one of them was still being treated in ICU.
According to the colonel staff apart from the plain land, the military actions were underway in rugged southeastern Hill Tracts region where they destroyed a secret hideout of outlawed KNF terrorist group at Ramu of Bandarban, seizing some military hardware from the scene.
He said during the military drives the troops also arrested 37 "terrorists" having their affiliations in groups like JSS, UPDF and MLP.
