Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman on Tuesday said his only desire is to return to the cantonment after ensuring the country’s stability.
“I have no other ambition, my only desire is that I want to return to the cantonment after making the country and the nation stable,” he said at an event at Raowa Club in the capital, marking the National Army Martyrs Day.
About the election, he said, "I believe we are moving towards polls. As many times as I talked to Dr Yunus he completely agreed that there should be a free, fair and inclusive election, and the election should be held within December or close to that which I earlier mentioned as within 18 months.”
Emphasising the need for unity, he said, "At the end of the day, we must prioritise the country and the nation instead of engaging in conflicts. If you resort to mudslinging among yourselves, the independence and sovereignty of the country and the nation will be at stake. I am issuing a warning—you cannot say later that I did not caution you. “
"We are going through a chaotic situation, and criminals are taking advantage of it," he said.
“There are some reasons behind the deterioration in the law-and-order situation. One is: If we are busy fighting; it’s a suitable situation for criminals. They know it well if they do the crimes this time they will be able to easily escape. If we remain united then it will be possible to face these in a united way,” he said.
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The army chief said that along with some controversial actions in the past, law enforcement and intelligence agencies such as the police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), and National Security Intelligence (NSI) have also contributed positively.
"The reason the country remained stable for so many years is that members of the armed forces and civilians collectively kept these institutions effective. That is why we have had a stable environment for so long," he said.
General Waker-Uz-Zaman said those involved in crimes must be held accountable. "Otherwise, such incidents will recur. However, we must ensure that our actions do not undermine these institutions," he cautioned.
"Today, many police officers are hesitant to perform their duties because cases have been filed against them, and some are in jail. RAB, BGB, DGFI, and NSI are in a state of panic due to ongoing investigations into allegations of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings," he said.
"Investigations must take place, and those responsible must be brought to justice, but this should be done in a way that does not weaken these agencies. If you think peace can be restored in the country by undermining these institutions, that will not happen," he added.
Stressing that maintaining law and order is not solely the responsibility of the army, the army chief said, "There are 200,000 police personnel, along with BGB, RAB and Ansar-VDP. The army has only 30,000 troops. How can I fill this void with just 30,000 soldiers? Troops are deployed in rotation—one group goes to the cantonment while another takes their place. We are working tirelessly, but if reversing actions continue, peace and order will never be restored. This is something you must keep in mind," he said.