Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Sunday (November 30) said the government will ensure justice for all members of the Army, Navy and Air Force who faced discrimination, deprivation and oppression during the previous regime.
He made the remarks after receiving a report from the committee formed to review applications of retired and dismissed officers who suffered injustice between 2009 and August 4, 2024, and to submit recommendations at the State Guest House Jamuna.
“When I assigned you to do this work, I thought there might have been some minor irregularities. But the complete picture you have presented is truly horrific. It is beyond imagination,” the Chief Adviser said.
He thanked the committee members for revealing the truth with professionalism and sincerity.
Committee Chairman and Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser on Defense and National Integration Development, Lt Gen (Retd) Abdul Hafiz, and members Maj Gen (Retd) Mohammad Shamsul Huda, Maj Gen (Retd) Sheikh Pasha Habib Uddin, Rear Adm (Retd) Muhammad Shafiul Azam and Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Muhammad Shafqat Ali attended the meeting.
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The committee received 733 applications, scrutinised them, and selected 145 for recommendations.
Committee Chairman Abdul Hafiz said the committee held its first meeting on August 19, 2025, and invited applications through the Central Officers’ Record Office, ISPR, RAWA, and various media platforms until September 21, 2025.
He said that in almost all cases, the dossiers of the affected officers contained no record of moral turpitude or serious allegations, despite the punishments imposed by boards formed under the previous regime.
Recommendations were made after reviewing board findings, application details and interviews with officers, including phone consultations with former commanders.
The investigation revealed several grave incidents. Six officers were allegedly kept in illegal confinement for periods ranging from one to eight years because of their relatives’ political affiliations or suspected militancy links—something described as unprecedented in Bangladesh’s history. One retired officer was reportedly murdered in a staged militancy incident, and his wife was jailed for two six-year terms without trial along with their one-year-old child.
Some officers were allegedly targeted for speaking out about the government’s inaction during the BDR massacre on February 25, 2009. Five were reportedly tortured after being implicated in a fabricated assassination attempt on then MP Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh. Five others were dismissed from DGFI on false or baseless charges during the 1/11 caretaker government.
The committee also found that officers assigned by the army chief to question the then prime minister in court after the BDR massacre were wrongly blamed amid chaos in the courtroom and dismissed without an opportunity to defend themselves. Four junior officers were also dismissed for allegedly belonging to a particular group or being labelled militants simply for practicing religious rituals.
In its final report, the committee recommended action for 114 Army officers, 19 Navy officers, and 12 Air Force officers who were deprived or discriminated against. The recommendations include granting normal retirement, promotion, pre-retirement promotion, arrears of pay and allowances, and other applicable benefits.
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Four Army officers were recommended for reinstatement into service.
Md. Ashraf Uddin and Military Secretary to the Chief Adviser, Major General Abul Hasnat Mohammad Tariq, were also present at the meeting.