Dr. Forqan Uddin Ahmed :
The recent chaos caused by the Ansar forces at the Bangladesh Secretariat was carried out by a specialized group known as the Embodied Ansars.
The number of trained Embodied Ansar across the country is approximately 500,000. They began to agitate with their demands. It culminated on August 25, 2024, when they surrounded the secretariat buildings, holding officials and staff hostage while chanting slogans and raising high voices until 10 p.m. Previously, they held demonstrations and strict processions.
Anyway, the government previously formed a committee to consider the legitimacy of the Ansar members’ demands, and the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a press release stating that their interests would be considered.
Personally, because of my position in the Ansar forces, I know, the Ansars did not follow the decisions of authority. It was a mistake, imprudent and prejudiced. The Student Brigade then confronted them and took control of the situation. The confrontation between the students and Ansar injured up to fifty people on both sides, but no one died.
Hasnat Abdullah, a student coordinator, was critically ill and admitted to the hospital. Many Ansar protesters fled in the same way that fascist government supporters did. Police, military personnel, and students worked together to control the Ansar protesters.
Following the incident, approximately 400 Ansar members were detained, and charges were filed against them as usual. The situation would not have reached this point if no specific group had instigated the Ansar members’ tenacity. I believe they received support from the previous government loyalist organisations such as Chhatra League, Jubo league, and other wings of fascist party loyal to the deposed despot.
In addition, the former Director General of the force, Major General Aminul Haque, was the brother of Enamul Haque Shamim, a minister, loyal to the fascist government. Therefore, the Ansar members became very reckless due to the incitement and getting multiplicity support.
Additionally, many officials of the force can be held responsible for this crisis. Before the siege of the secretariat as part of the movement, there had been isolated rehearsals on the Press Club premises and on the streets. Understanding the situation of these rehearsalsin the initial phase, they should have been brought under control.
There may have been many shortcomings in the attempts to stop their movement. This is presumed to be a kind of leadership crisis and failure. Again it should have come to the attention of various intelligence agencies.
Many describe this as a bad chapter of irresponsible leadership crisis. The authorities’ indifference and negligence towards the welfare of Ansars members cannot be denied from the responsibility for this incident. It is believed that there was no role of officials with the courageous mindset to raise the issues of rights at higher levels.
I had initially brought up the issue of the police also. A number of the police members has fled from their workplace during the mass uprising. There is a sense of resentment among them as well. Police members at the field level also understand the issue of authoritarian behave of the police officers. They believe that the operational and general members at the field level are paying the price for the mistakes of the officials. In such a situation, a distance develops between the officers and the general members.
The general members feel that many opportunists and self-serving officials in the police, who acted thoughtlessly during this time, exacerbated the leadership problem. The people expects that the police and Ansar will quickly resolve their leadership issues and take appropriate measures to repair and reform towards building a socially responsible and free, fair law enforcement agency.
Previously proposals for reformation of Ansar VDP organization were projected to ministry several times. But those were opposed sometimes from Police side and sometimes from Army. As a whole, the Ansar Bahini and its members have been deprived of getting their due rights. In this context, we can say that the tragic 1994 incident happened in the name of mutiny.
These were not properly taken care of by the authority and after long deprivation, this tragic incident happened. Actually, it was named a rebellion. As a matter of fact, it was the voice for the rights and privileges against violation and violence by the authority. In the incident, about 2500 innocent Battalion Ansar members were sacked from their jobs and 15 cadre officials were put under suspension and even taken to the police custody for which till they are suffering.
However, around 70,000 Ansar members, more or less, perform security duties in various guards through a rotational system throughout Bangladesh. By the demands of various organizations, Ansar members are Embodied. Once the Ansar members are embodied, the tenure of service is meant for three years.
After 3 years, they are discontinued for six months. However, that is not limited to six months. The period of rest extends to twelve months, or sometimes a year longer. This is the crux of the problems that Ansar members are facing. The Ansar’s services have a significant impact across Bangladesh. I do not believe that any agency in a developed country could provide security to a large number of organizations for such a low cost.
The dealing of future police and Ansar must be molded with the ideals of love and feelings towards humanity not by jeopardizing discipline, ethics, principle, morality, goodness and above all honesty. Both the organization should come under the umbrella of expiation establishing sensible norms, values, justice and equity. The concerned authorities should develop a system to monitor anti disciplinary activities of all members, belonging to the organization. The purity campaign and the combing operational program within the intra-organization may save the law enforcement agencies and nation as well.
(The writer is former Deputy Director General, Bangladesh
Ansar and VDP).