In October 2002, Begum Khaleda Zia, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh ordered a country wide indefinite joint operation against terrorism consisting of the police, paramilitary and military forces, including at least seven infantry divisions with more than 18,000 soldiers. 

Many inside Bangladesh wanted such an operation, as the country was facing increasing law and order problems. The government was left with no alternative but to call in the Army to aid civil administration.  The main objective of the operation was to control the escalating crime rate and recover illegal arms, which had proliferated to an alarming extent in the society. The operation was kept confidential to prevent the existing politicians-criminal nexus from derailing the original objectives of the exercise.

The joint operation appears impartial and neutral with political leaders and activists from both the BNP and the opposition parties being targeted.  Until end November 2002, 5,500 persons have been arrested, including politicians, criminals and others involved in terrorist activities.  The army has seized firearms, cartridges, cash, gold, illegal passports and latest weapons including Kalashnikov (AK-47).

In the terror prone southwestern districts of Kushtia, Meherpur and Chuadanga, the government is pursuing its drive earnestly where at least six outlawed parties with 4,000 armed cadres are active.  In the past one-year alone more than 200 people were killed and frequent cases of abduction, robbery, rapes, murder and other crimes were recorded.

The business sector has welcomed this operation considering they were the worst affected due to deteriorating law and order situation and were prominent targets for rampant extortion.

However, dissent does exist; there has been a lot of criticism both from the opposition and international agencies.  Amnesty International, while questioning the legal status of the Army’s involvement in civilian arrests, has also asked the government to restrain the Army and police forces from torture and custodial deaths.  The government, on its part, has clarified that the Army has been deployed under section 129 and 130 of the criminal procedure code, which stipulates that the Army can arrest anyone to disperse any legal gathering on permission from the police commissioner or magistrate.  Notwithstanding instances of alleged excesses, the operation has widespread support being welcomed among all section of people and, to that extent, is a fully democratic exercise.

The Army has reduced the presence of criminals in major cities.  Most importantly, it has broken the nexus between criminals and students in the universities.  It is common among student leaders to hold arms and have association with criminals for political and public image.  The Army now has a camp inside the Dhaka University campus, which was fast becoming the retiring house for many criminals.

The operation is essential not only for Bangladesh’s domestic well being but also for the security of the region as a whole.  After the War on Terrorism, the dethroned Taliban and Al-Qaeda terrorists are in search of a base. Pakistan and Central Asian countries are no longer conducive because of the presence of American security forces.  Bangladesh, with a large number of Muslim population, oil resources and geo-strategic location could become the nerve centre for the terror network.

A single operation cannot change the whole system in a day and the civil administration needs to be adequately equipped for future control.  It is never easy for a democratically elected government to call in the Army to do a civilian job and the government has taken a bold step to include military in the operation.  Military is the supreme security force of the country.  If the Army is involved in the operation for a long time it might loose its pungency and, at the same time, the civilian control would be weakened.  The police in Bangladesh need a complete overhaul in every sphere for them to become a scrupulous and efficient force to maintain the situation after the operation. 

While the international community is wary of Asia becoming a breeding ground for terrorism, domestic situations in these countries offer a hot bed for terror networks.  Bangladesh’s recent awareness in crime control and terrorism is a positive step towards not only its own security but also the region as a whole.