Desk Report:
The people of the country want free, fair and acceptable elections to be held as per the outline announced by the government. There is also a fixed time limit in the outline. The army hopes that the stability of the country will improve and the law and order situation will gradually return to normal after the elections. Once the situation normalizes, the army will also be able to return to the barracks.
Lieutenant General Md. Mainul Rahman, Training and Doctrine Command of the Army Headquarters, said these things at a press conference held at the army headquarters on Wednesday afternoon.
Lieutenant General Mainul Rahman said, ‘The army is preparing based on the outline announced by the government. Although the training activities are now limited in scope, they are being planned around what the army can do during the elections.’ He said, ‘In peacetime, the army’s responsibility is to prepare for war. But the army has been on duty in the field for the last 15 months. If necessary, this responsibility may have to continue during the elections and some time after the elections. As a result, the army’s core training activities are being disrupted.’
The army officer also said, ‘The situation in which we have been performing our duties for the past 15 months was not easy at all. Bangladesh does not face such a situation every day. Therefore, we also want a fair election and we return to the cantonment.’
Regarding various rumors circulating around the army on social media, he said, ‘The army has been performing its duties in very challenging circumstances for the past 15 months. During this time, some vested interests have been spreading false and fabricated propaganda to question the army’s leadership.’ He clearly said, ‘I want to assure you that every member of the army is 100 percent loyal to the army chief and senior leadership. The army is now more united, disciplined and strong in brotherhood than ever before.’
Lieutenant General Mainul Rahman said, ‘The army is the army of the people of the country; therefore, the army will continue to fulfill the necessary responsibilities to ensure the stability and security of the people.’
The nominations of party candidates for the upcoming national elections were announced two days ago. Immediately after this, tension and clashes occurred in some areas. At the beginning of the press conference, Brigadier General Dewan Mohammad Manzur Hossain, Director of the Army’s Military Operations Directorate, was questioned by journalists on this issue. In response, he said, “The Bangladesh Army is cooperating with all other law enforcement agencies in controlling the law and order situation, and will continue to do so in the future.”
When attention was drawn to the rumors of the election-time government or the postponement of the election, Brigadier General Manzur Hossain said, “The Bangladesh Army will provide all-out cooperation for a free and fair election as per the instructions announced by the government and in the light of the circular issued by the Election Commission.”
When asked about the role of the army in the upcoming national election, he said, “The chiefs of the three services have met with the chief advisor. The content of the discussion has already been announced in a press release from the chief advisor’s office. The prerequisite for a fair and acceptable election is a stable law and order situation. We are determined to work towards normalizing law and order.’
He further said, ‘During the election, 90,000 to 100,000 army personnel will be deployed in the field—the highest ever. Our plan is to set up camps based on districts, upazilas, and even constituencies to maintain law and order. The Bangladesh Army is ready to do whatever is needed to assist the Election Commission.’
