M Abdullah Al Mamun Khan :
The interim government has cleared all deadlocks regarding the 13th National Parliament election. Key figures, starting with Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, have repeatedly reaffirmed their firm commitment to holding the election in February of next year.
Although various issues—such as whether a referendum should be held before or on election day, and the promulgation of a constitutional ordinance to implement the ‘July Charter’—remain unresolved, the country’s political parties are heating up the political field. They are failing to reach a consensus.
The government also faces the challenge of maintaining law and order and recovering all looted weapons and ammunition.
The interim government does not want a repeat of the questionable elections of 2014, 2018, and the 2024 one-sided “night-time vote” and “I-dummy” elections; neither do the people of the country.
After much sacrifice and bloodshed, an immense opportunity for an unquestionable, free, fair, and neutral election is now within reach.
A week ago, during a meeting with Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman, Navy Chief Admiral M Nazmul Hassan, and Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, the head of government gave necessary directives to the three service chiefs to ensure foolproof security and take all preparations for the peaceful conduct of the upcoming parliamentary election.
It has already been announced that 94,000 members of the three forces will be deployed to maintain law and order during the election.
This includes 90,000 army personnel, 2,500 navy personnel, and 1,500 air force personnel. One company of the army will be stationed in each upazila.
There is a tradition of deploying armed forces members in almost every national election in the country’s history.
Although the armed forces were deployed during the last three controversial national elections, they remained largely inactive.
This has been a subject of endless discussion and criticism. But were they inactive by choice, or did legal loopholes prevent them from being active? It is crucial to find the answer.
The interim government has not sought solutions while leaving the root problem intact. It has identified the problem early and taken steps to resolve it by amending the RPO.
The government that lost power in the mass uprising had rendered the armed forces powerless during elections precisely to conduct “elections as they pleased.”
They had amended the ‘Representation of the People Order (RPO) 1972’ to exclude the armed forces from the definition of “law enforcement agencies.”
But this time, the interim government is firmly committed to delivering the best possible national election from the outset. The Election Commission (EC) has amended the RPO to include the defense services, or armed forces, in the definition of law enforcement.
Once this historic decision is implemented, the armed forces will no longer have to wait for anyone’s orders to maintain law and order. Consequently, any criminal or miscreant will be forced to reckon with the presence of the armed forces on the electoral field.
By regaining their lost authority, the patriotic armed forces can undoubtedly be the ultimate solution for a credible election.
The general public also has complete faith in the patriotism, neutrality, and professional role of the armed forces.
The people believe that the armed forces, founded through the Liberation War, will not serve any vested interests but will instead immortalize themselves in the golden pages of history, today and tomorrow, through an impartial role based on justice.
During the spontaneous mass uprising of last July-August, the armed forces ensured the final victory by standing beside the students and the public instead of firing on them, setting an example of their true patriotism and becoming a crucial stakeholder in the uprising.
The instances of the armed forces standing by the people in every disaster and crisis are plentiful.
After the July-August uprising, the strong bond, or “chemistry,” between the army, students, and the public has allowed the nation to recover from a state of collapse. It has brought an unprecedented alignment with the people, keeping desired democracy, national self-esteem, and a sense of equality in heart and mind.
Despite this, questions have been raised about why the army did not use force even after receiving magistracy powers, and why the law and order situation has not yet improved.
In this regard, an answer from Lieutenant General Md. Mainur Rahman, GOC of the Army Training and Doctrine Command (ARTDOC), can open new doors of thought-provoking polarization.
At a recent briefing at Army HQ, he said, “You cannot even imagine how much the situation would have deteriorated if we were not there! During this time, from the floods in Cumilla-Noakhali to unrest among various forces, protecting police stations, and performing traffic duties—there is no task that this limited manpower has not done.
Today, 40,000 or 50,000 army members, whose primary job this is not, have tried their best.”
Every conscientious person who understands good and bad, right and wrong, will admit that Bangladesh has not lost its way thanks to the positive attitude and collective efforts of the government, the army, and the people.
They have included each other in the journey from a dark tunnel to a path of light, becoming an eternal beacon in stormy times. Just when the brows of those who believe in freedom of thought were furrowed with worry over illegal weapons, the Army Headquarters provided hopeful information.
The Director of the Military Operations Directorate, Brigadier General Dewan Mohammad Manjur Hossain, recently stated in a briefing that 81 percent of the missing weapons have been recovered so far. 73 percent of the missing ammunition has also been recovered. Furthermore, more than 19,000 criminals have been arrested.
This graph of significant improvement in securing the overall law and order situation and ensuring voter safety indicates promising progress in the most difficult task of holding a fair, transparent, and acceptable election.
In this difficult situation for the country, where almost all institutions have become dysfunctional, only the patriotic armed forces have maintained their dignity through professionalism, training, and acceptability.
It is due to the specialized actions of the army in the field that the rule of law still exists. The people’s lost respect for the law is also being reawakened.
They have proven themselves not as rulers, but as a supportive force for democracy, making the Bangladesh Armed Forces as illustrious in the history of 2024 as they were in the Liberation War.
Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman has repeatedly clarified his position on the election issue. He has also stated many times that he has no lust for power. In late September last year, he said he would play a role in ensuring the election is held within 18 months. He has kept his word.
He has duly pushed for the election, and the interim government has set the time. General Waker-uz-Zaman has clearly stated, “I have no other ambition. My only ambition is to leave the country and the nation in a good place.”
He said, “I want us to return to the cantonment after leaving the country and the nation in a good place.” The government also wants a meaningful, fair, and neutral election.
The strong commitment of the government and the armed forces can play a decisive role in building a new, democratic Bangladesh full of possibilities.
(The writer is a media person)
