Dealing With Crisis in Bangladesh

These are testing times for Bangladesh. The mutiny led by the paramilitary troops is exploding into a national crisis.

More and more mass graves are being discovered, stuffed with bodies of regular troops who were shot dead in the uprising, leaving the government and the army in a fix. How a dispute over pay and work conditions could lead to vengeance of such a magnitude has raised concerns for the stability and integrity of the south Asian country.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid’s barely two months old government has landed in a crisis in which the stakes are terrifyingly high. It is, indeed, a test of her mettle. She faces the challenge of not only restoring normalcy but also keeping the army composed in the barracks. Fortunately enough, the army leadership has exhibited discipline and vowed its allegiance to the government.

General Moeen U Ahmed sounded hope for the impoverished country, which has suffered several military coups since independence in 1971, as he called for ‘calm’ and vowed to uphold the democratic process.

The nation, however, is in state of shock and mourning. At least 80 bodies of regular troops and Bangladesh Rifles guards, who took up arms during last week’s mutiny in Dhaka, have been discovered so far. With about 70 officers still unaccounted for, the death toll is uncertain and is steadily rising. The issue at hand is not only of a law and order nature but one that is political to the core. Keeping the sentiments of the masses calm and coming out of the crisis strongly is what is hoped from the leadership as well as the civil society.

At the moment the country’s borders are closed and there are 70,000 paramilitary border personnel with no leadership. One hopes tactical and wise decisions are taken, which not only lead to stability but also reforms in the military’s rank and file. The loss of so many senior army officers and soldiers is a national tragedy, and can only be compensated by rising to the occasion with due national spirits.

The government, which earlier announced to grant general amnesty for the mutineers, should see to it that those responsible for plotting the ghastly act are brought to justice. The mutiny might not be an isolated incident. Authorities, perhaps, need to investigate the causes, and ensure that genuine grievances of the soldiers are addressed. The upheaval should not prove an obstacle on the path of progress and development of a nation of 140 million, of which 40 per cent lives below the poverty line.