The Bangladesh military and other branches of law enforcement commit widespread abuses against people there, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, sexual violence, and land-grabbing, with little redress.
At any time in Bangladesh’s history, granting army magisterial power had been considered deviant, abnormal, or downright offensive, deterioration of democracy and betrayal of people who fought for democracy and ousted Sheikh Hasina.
Another facet of this decadence is the refusal of the Bangladesh government to tackle the gangsterism associated with drugs, corruption and money laundering.
This has led to the widespread acceptance of violence and corruption in all its manifestations – whether criminal rivals in narcotics gangs slaughtering each other, the deaths of innocents caught in the military’s crossfire, or the normalisation of gun use that leads to countless mass shootings in Bangladesh by the security services.
One wonders how lethal this problem must become before progressives and conservatives alike realise that it must be tackled head-on.
Commissioned officials of the Bangladesh Army have been given executive magistracy power, which will enable them to search and, in the presence of designated officials, issue search warrants at any location.
This magisterial power will allow Bangladesh military officers to go on a rampage and steal money from the already struggling banking system in Bangladesh. People who do not collude with the army will be prosecuted for fake charges they never committed.
Magisterial power will also allow the Army to clean up the mass murder of army officers committed during the student uprising in July 2024.
The gazette notification states army officials granted magistracy power will be able to consider offences under various sections of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, including Sections 64, 65, 83, 84, 86, 95(2), 100, 105, 107, 109, 110, 126, 127, 128, 130, 133, and 142.
Section 64: The authority to arrest individuals committing offences in the magistrate’s presence or to issue arrest orders and detain them.
Section 65: The ability to arrest or issue orders for arrests in their presence, including the issuance of arrest warrants.
Sections 83/84/86: The power to authorise warrants or issue orders for the removal to court of accused individuals arrested under a warrant.
Section 95(2): The authority to search for and seize documents and other materials with the assistance of postal and telecommunication authorities.
Section 100: The power to issue search warrants for the appearance of wrongfully detained individuals.
Section 105: Authority to conduct direct search and issue search warrants for investigations at any location in their presence.
Section 107: Powers necessary to maintain peace and security.
Section 109: Authority to ensure the excellent behaviour of vagrants and suspicious individuals.
Section 110: Powers to ensure good behaviour in general.
Section 126: Authority to settle matters related to bail.
Section 127: Power to order the dispersal of illegal assemblies.
Section 128: Authority to employ civilian forces to disperse illegal assemblies.
Section 130: Power to use military force to disperse illegal assemblies.
Section 133: Authority to issue orders to control local disturbances in specific situations.
Section 142: Power to issue immediate orders to address public disturbances.
In addition to the aforementioned powers, any executive magistrate is authorised to conduct mobile courts under the Mobile Court Act 2009, as granted by the government and the district magistrate.
General Waker-uz-Zaman, related to Shiekh Hasina, is a gangster and a corrupt individual
The Bangladesh Army chief, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, related to Shiekh Hasina, announced the formation of an interim government, promising early elections and a return to civilian rule.
But the Army will undermine democracy, which has a history of coups and corruption. The army will have a difficult job rebuilding a stable political system hampered by Hasina’s 16 years of autocratic rule. It will also need to navigate competing claims for influence by India and China and a civil war in neighbouring Myanmar.
Bangladesh’s relations with the United States have some potential for improvement. Hasina has a long history of personal antipathy towards Washington. This wasn’t helped by the former US Ambassador Peter Haas’ open championing of democratic values and opposition parties in the lead-up to the last election. The United States may now have an opportunity to rebuild its influence, which could potentially be sweetened by military assistance.
Bangladesh’s most significant foreign policy challenge is the civil war in Myanmar and the potential for a renewed exodus of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh to join the 1.2 million Rohingyas already sheltering in the country.
On Sunday, 23 June 2024, Waker officially assumed the Bangladesh Chief of Army Staff (CAS) position in Bangladesh. General Waker led the student body of Awami League, known as Chatra League, and was involved in various extra-judicial killings and extortion as a student. Waker is married to Shiekh Hasina’s cousin and fast-tracked his career in the military over the past fifteen years through his connection with ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
General Waker-uz-Zaman holds master’s degrees in defence studies from the National University of Bangladesh and King’s College, University of London.
Waker is married to Sarahnaz Kamalika Zaman (Sarah), Sheikh Hasina’s cousin. Together, they have two daughters who are pursuing higher education overseas.
During Hasina’s regime, Waker has laundered money from Bangladesh to Australia during his several private visits to Australia. Waker owns several bank accounts and properties in Australia.
© 2024, GDC. © GDC and www.globaldefensecorp.com. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to www.globaldefensecorp.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
