Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus has sensed that the monstrous fascists are once again stirring unrest — plotting, spreading rumours. Anyone with discernment can see that there is a deliberate effort to embroil the military in controversy, to undermine public trust in the institution.
The recent flurry of rumour campaigns against the Bangladesh Army comes even after their praiseworthy role during times of disaster, danger, and civic emergencies — including their crucial involvement in safely resolving the people’s uprising on 5 August. While the nation looked to the military with hope — whether in the context of a future election or during their selfless rescue efforts following the Milestone school plane crash — some corners responded not with gratitude, but with ingratitude and vicious misinformation.
As army personnel risked their lives in Uttara to rescue victims and offered their own uniforms to comfort scorched bodies, malicious rumours flooded social media. A child lay burning, but some were more concerned with capturing content for virality. Opportunists hiked water prices tenfold, rickshaw and CNG drivers extorted fares, and looters scavenged in chaos. While the army led rescue operations, many civilians blocked their path with selfie sessions. Yet, fingers were pointed — at the very people who arrived first, uniformed or not, to save lives.
Spreading falsehoods about the army in the wake of such tragedies is a barbarism that shakes the heavens. Fabricated footage, stories of disappearances, and deliberate silence on the real causes — such as flawed aircraft procurement and poor building approvals — reveal a targeted agenda. This tragedy has not just affected one institution, but stunned the nation. It represents a collective failure, and worse, an attempt to turn disaster into opportunity for spreading vile propaganda against the army.
The military is a pillar of sovereignty, security, and national stability. History has shown that in times of political weakness, it is often the military that upholds the state. Unfortunately, there is now a coordinated effort to drag the Bangladesh Army into controversy, particularly through social media, which is being misused to peddle dangerous disinformation.
Posts, YouTube videos, and misleading headlines speculate on supposed rifts between the government and the army, dissatisfaction in the barracks, favouritism, and potential political positioning — none of which are grounded in reality. Who benefits from breaking the people’s trust in their armed forces? Clearly, anti-state actors. The state, the people, and the future all stand to lose.
Politics involving the military or using the military for politics has never succeeded in Bangladesh — it has always backfired. Those who tried paid the price — some were exiled, others disgraced.
General Wakar-uz-Zaman, the current Chief of Army Staff, has been clear: only politicians can be alternatives to politicians — not the army. What more needs to be said? And yet, some groups persist, pushing questions laced with malice. Why does the army chief speak on political matters? Does he seek power? Does he back a party? These absurd insinuations are part of a deliberate campaign to cause confusion and disorder, powered primarily through unregulated social media platforms.
From the outset, General Wakar-uz-Zaman has vowed unwavering support for the interim government and the people. He has put himself in the line of fire — literally and figuratively — since the crisis of 5 August, when under his leadership, the army refused to open fire amid clashes, helping to restore peace.
Those now walking freely under the sky, who once gasped for air under oppression, owe part of that freedom to his decisions. And yet, they are the ones spreading slander. In every major crisis — natural or man-made — calls are made for military intervention. From rapid construction to disaster relief, from restoring lakes to building flood-resistant homes, from peacekeeping to economic contributions via remittances, the army continues to serve. Even now, military hospitals are treating victims of the July–August uprising. Their actions are not hidden — they are declared and documented.
It is against this backdrop that certain factions are intensifying their smear campaigns. Some are operating domestically, others from abroad. Social media, with no editorial oversight or accountability, is their main weapon.
The army's constitutional duty is to defend Bangladesh’s territorial integrity and support the navy and air force in matters of national security. It is also constitutionally bound to assist civilian authorities in times of need. The same army that declared “We revolt” against Pakistan in 1971, whose ranks included “cowardly Bengalis” mocked by West Pakistanis — one of whom was Major Ziaur Rahman — is again being targeted.
During the 1990 mass uprising, then-army chief General Nooruddin Khan’s famous declaration “Enough is enough” led to Ershad’s resignation. Finding politics in such moments of duty is not only delusional but a betrayal of national interest.
If General Wakar-uz-Zaman had any lust for power, he had multiple opportunities to seize it. He has not and has clearly stated he will not. He will not let the military be dragged into political games either.
With elections approaching, and trials underway against those who wrecked the electoral culture, there is immense hope for a free, fair, and participatory vote. The army’s role under an interim government is not just anticipated — it is expected. And that role is not hidden; it is open, responsible, and professional.
In the current situation, the army’s presence with magisterial authority has prevented countless possible disasters. From ensuring public safety, combating chaos, protecting communal harmony, keeping factories running, safeguarding critical infrastructure and diplomatic missions — their service is acknowledged by every conscientious citizen.
The Bangladesh Army, born of a bloody war of liberation, remains the people’s most trusted institution. Any attempt to destroy this trust must be recognised for what it is: an assault on the country itself. And the people will not stand for it.
Author: Journalist-columnist, Deputy Head of News, Banglavision
