The government has no information as to how many coups d’etat or mutinies had taken place in the army from 1975 to 1981 and how many officials were killed in the incidents.
Minister for Road Transport and Bridge Obaidul Quader yesterday told Parliament that some coups/mass upsurge/mutinies had taken place in army during the period. “It is a time consuming thing to accumulate information on the incidents that occurred many days ago,” he said, on behalf of Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, while replying to a question from ruling party lawmaker AKM Jahangir Hossain.The lawmaker expressed his dissatisfaction over the failure of respective ministry to provide information on coups d’tat.
In the supplementary question, he said the minister’s answer made him dissatisfied, and added the people have the right to know how many army officers and soldiers were killed during coups that took place in between 1975 to 1981.
The lamented lawmaker said he has heard that several thousand people were killed during and after the coups in the hands of (late President) Ziaur Rahman and many Air Force officers were hanged in the name of containing revolt in the force. “We have the right to get clear information about this,” he added.
The lawmaker also wanted to know as to how much time the government needs to come up with detailed information on coups d’tat in the Armed Forces.
Obaidul Quader, who gave proxy reply in the absence of Syed Ashraful Islam, said coups in Army had taken place at a time when there was no democratic government or parliament in the country.
The LGRD Minister is in charge of Defense Ministry to deal with parliamentary affairs. Obaidul Quader said the then rulers did not keep any record on the coups and that’s why the government has no information to this end.
“I have heard that Ziaur Rahman had signed the papers on hanging army men whole night without sleeping,” he alleged.
In the written answer he said no coup d’tat took place in the two forces– Navy and Air Force.
He however said a Navy official was killed in a local revolt on Nov 2, 1975. Besides, 11 unarmed Air Force officials were also killed in a local revolt on Oct 2, 1977.
Replying to another question from Moazzem Hossain Raton, he said 1.13 lakh members of Armed Forces have so far taken part in the United nations Peacekeeping Missions in different countries.
Currently, 7,083 members of Armed Forces have been deployed in nine UN Peacekeeping Mission missions in nine countries. – Staff Reporter
