The defence ministry on Sunday issued a statement, saying retired lieutenant general Chowdhury Hasan Sarwardy was declared “persona non grata” inside cantonments and related military establishments because of his” immoral” interactions with women setting a negative example in the military rank and file.
“Under an overall consideration, that officer (Sarwardy) was declared persona non grata on April 10, 2019 inside cantonments and areas within their purviews,” defence ministry’s Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) statement read.
It said persons who are declared persona non grata by the army authority are denied services military facilities like combined military hospitals, officers clubs and the CSD shops.
The statement said recently Sarwardy made some untrue comments in different social media regarding access to cantonments and the military which drew the authority’s attention.
“Mentionable, he (Sarwardy) got involved in immoral relations with more than one women while he was the commandant of NDC (National Defence College) after his promotion as a lieutenant general,” it read.
According to the statement, he used to roam around with several girls during visits abroad under different NDC courses which embarrassed the authority as his indecent activities and pictures were potrayed in different media.
It said the authority had advised him through different means to restrain from it.
The statement said, moreover, without the authority’s permission, Sarwardy divorced his first wife when he was on leave preparatory to retirement (LPR) on August 16, 2018 and married his second wife (a media personality) without authority’s approval, wearing military mesquite, defying the military laws as well, on November 21, 2018.
According to the statement, Sarwardy used to live together in an immoral manner with the media personality at the same house even before their marriage from November 3, 2018.
“Even (before the marriage) he celebrated with her the Pahela Boishakh, enjoyed holidays at Sajek Resort in Khagrachhari and on different occasions visited and stayed along with her India, Thailand, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.
The illustrated pictures of the duo during these tours were widely criticized in the military and non-military arenas and social media.
“The woman he married is known as a controversial one,” the statement said.
It said Sarwardy’s activities caused a situation of unease and embarrassment for the members of the armed forces which set “negative examples and create adverse impact on rank and file of the serving officers and personnel in other ranks”.
