Killers Cannot Hide Behind the Uniform

If the Bangladesh military is to be built into a professional force, the first task is to bring them to justice.

Not all of them, of course. Or even most of them. But those involved in enforced disappearances and murders -- no one should be spared an inch. Be it a general or a colonel, no leniency should be shown. Merely dismissing them from service is not justice -- they must go to prison. Those who deserve it -- each one should face the gallows. They may flee, but justice must be served.

Surprisingly, the overwhelming majority of junior military officers want this justice. This government, and any government that comes in the future -- if you fail to bring the murderers in the police and military to justice, this military will turn against you. You can write it down. 100% guaranteed. Within 15 to 20 years.

If you do not hold them accountable, the major today who becomes a general tomorrow will consider you a clown. You may think today that you can get away with all sorts of clever tactics. Never. Respect is not born from cunning; it is born from justice. Do not make this mistake. No commanding officer in the police or military should be spared.

Many will tell you not to uproot the village while weeding out the thorns. They are all wrong. You are not weeding out thorns; you are identifying murderers. And if a hundred or a hundred and fifty officers are removed, the army will not collapse. But if you try to save them, someone will uproot you.

To the leadership of BNP, I have one thing to say: respect is something to be earned, and if you show any leniency, you will never earn the military’s respect. They will consider you sellouts. They may not think so in 2026, but they will in 2040. No one will remember what the reality was. They will remember that you compromised.

I am not saying that anyone from the Awami League should be targeted, or that working in the DGFI automatically makes someone a criminal. But enforced disappearances and murders are a different category. Be fair. No injustice, no revenge -- we want dispassionate justice. Not just these 23 officers -- there are many others who bear command responsibility. All of them must face justice.

What the Bangladesh military has done over the past 15 years is beyond the imagination of any normal person. One runner participated in over 800 enforced disappearances in a little over a year and a half. The number of nameless people killed without reason will never be fully known. Because the families of many who were killed don’t even know they were murdered. I know one young man who personally killed over 70 people -- he’s now a PTSD patient.

I have a desire to write a book someday. I want to remind you of one more reality. Many people are silent now, only because they are mindful of the government’s limitations. This situation will not last forever. It will not be the same this time next year.

If anyone is spared, remember that we know how to make things worse. The young ones know even better. No one involved in enforced disappearances or murders can be saved.

Those who killed our children must face justice.