Committee soon to co-ordinate armed forces
Headed by PM, chiefs of 3 services to be members; Armed Forces Division to become forces' HQ
Shakhawat Liton
The government is going to form a high-powered 'defence committee' to better co-ordinate the activities of the armed forces, as the policymakers think the Armed Forces Division (AFD) is unable to do that due to certain structural shortcomings. "The Armed Forces Division is facing difficulties in co-ordinating the forces, as the chiefs of the three services do not hold any position in the division. The division also lacks adequate power," a government high-up told The Daily Star wishing anonymity. Sources said the prime minister will head the committee which will have the chiefs of armed services as its members. After its formation, the AFD will be restructured to work as the joint headquarters of the armed services and the secretariat of the committee. At present, the AFD works under the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and looks after the training and operational activities of the army, the airforce and the navy. The three chiefs are not officially involved in the AFD. But they have representation at the division. Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who is also in charge of the defence ministry, senior ministers and the chiefs of the armed services at a meeting on Monday discussed an AFD draft proposal on the defence committee and decided in principle to go for it. Finance and Planning Minister M Saifur Rahman, LGRD Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Health Minister Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain, Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan and Defence Adviser to the PM Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman, among others, were present at the meeting held at the PMO. According to the proposal, the prime minister will head the committee and the defence minister, if there is any, will be the deputy chief. The AFD, after its restructuring, will be equipped with the logistical support and manpower necessary to play a due role as the secretariat of the defence committee, the proposal says. In wartime the joint forces headquarters will be provided with additional manpower and logistical facilities, sources said quoting a provision of the draft proposal, which was not finalised at Monday's meeting. The prime minister at the meeting asked the AFD to continue working on the matter. The government high-ups and the chiefs of armed services will sit again after three months and finalise the plan. "Such a committee is essential for a better co-ordination of the armed forces. Defence services in other countries including India and Pakistan have such organisations in different names and shapes," said an armed forces expert. The meeting also discussed the status of the 24-member National Security Council and maintained that it has remained ineffective since its formation in 1992.
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