All's well that ends well?
General Moeen U. Ahmed
FOR obvious reasons, General Moeen U. Ahmed, who retired from the army on June 15, is the most known and talked-about chief of staff of the army since the end of military and quasi-military rule that Bangladesh had to endure from 1975 to 1990.
General Moeen started his military career in January 1975. His service started as the distinguished "Chief of Army Staff's Cane" holder (which he took from Bangabandhu) of the pioneer Short Service Course-1 from Bangladesh Military Academy.
However, General Moeen's army career stalled to a certain extent until BNP was elected to power in 2001. General Moeen is from Noakhali, birthplace and bastion of BNP supremo Khaleda Zia and her family. His appointment as the chief of staff on June 15, 2005, superseding a few other generals (a common phenomenon in all democracies, however) was believed to be guided partly by the geographical proximity of his birth place to that of Khaleda Zia's and because he was close to her brother, retired Major Sayeed Iskander.
It will always remain a debatable issue whether the declaration of emergency on January 11, 2007 was a necessity. However, given the fact that country was heading from the rubble of the BNP-Jamaat rule towards the ruins by the Iajuddin-led CTG, any form of deviation from this path was a welcome respite. The massive popularity that the Fakharuddin-led CTG enjoyed at the initial months of its tenure testified to the justification for 1/11.
Over the next two years, the action and inactions of the government of Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed would give rise to speculation about the presence of seemingly multiple governments within the government. The appointment of Dr. Fakharudddin Ahmed as the chief adviser was as laudable as the occurrence of 1/11 itself. However, many actions of the government, especially of the so-called joint forces, made such a decent person absolutely embarrassed.
While the arrest of many politicians who were widely known for their unbridled corruption was welcomed by the people, the lodging of legal suits and summary convictions, and in some cases for trivial reasons, cast a dent on the integrity of the whole process. It was not difficult to hypothesise the existence of political motives behind those arrests, cases, and convictions. Many of the arrestees had to endure severe atrocities at the hands of the joint forces.
But, unlike other generals who lectured the nation one time or the other, General Moeen's smiling face and soft style of delivery did not show that he was lecturing an ignorant nation or that he was an army general teaching the "bloody civilians" any lessons.
On the contrary, a few actions of the government (really of General Moeen) deserve special commendation.
Firstly, the history of our liberation war, which was absolutely distorted during the dark era of the BNP-Jamaat government, was reverted back, to a great extent, to its true form, thereby allowing our children to learn the true history of their nation's birth.
Secondly, the father of the nation was given due respect with the visit of the president, the CA, and the chiefs of three services to his mausoleum on his death anniversary.
Thirdly, no appeal was made by the CTG against the HC verdict overturning the cancellation of August 15 as the day of national morning, and the government observed the day with due solemnity and dignity.
Finally, the Election Commission was reconstituted from the rubble with persons of high integrity. The Election Commission, with the help of the army, accomplished a historical task of making a fool-proof voter list, eliminating 12.7 million fake voters.
Shrugging off all the apprehensions, the general election was at last held with unprecedented 85% turnout of the eligible voters in a free and fair environment. The landmark election has not only given the country a popular and representative government, but has also greatly elevated the dignity of the nation in the international arena.
Helping to hold this free election, in the presence of thousands of national and international observers, was the prime purpose of 1/11. General Moeen has kept his words that: "Kadombini did not have to die to prove that she was alive."
If the axiom "all's well that ends well" is to be given credence, then General Moeen who, at the warranted moment, rose above personal gratitude to the person who appointed him to his position that gave him the power to change the course of the nation, which was otherwise heading towards an inevitable catastrophe, must be given due commendation.
During those turbulent days, his ability to maintain total discipline within the rank and file of his men reflected his strong leadership, failing which the nation could have plunged into turmoil. He did not follow the footsteps of two of his predecessors by usurping state power.
History will surely evaluate appropriately all that happened, positive or negative, during the said periods. When the dust settles, the commendations of his actions will surely greatly outweigh the condemnations.
Comments