An army officer has filed a general diary against Zafrullah Chowdhury, the leader of a professional group supporting the BNP, over ‘false, targeted and treasonous’ remarks he made about the army chief in a TV programme.
Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Branch Police (South) has been appointed to investigate the matter after approvals from the court and the ministry, DMP Deputy Commissioner Md Masudur Rahman told bdnews24.com. Dhaka Cantonment Police Station Inspector Kabir Hossain Howladar said Major M Raqibul Alam, who is currently assigned to the army headquarters, came to the station and filed a GD against Gonoshasthaya Kendra trustee board member Zafrullah Chowdhury on Friday.
“The night before the verdict in the important case over the Aug 21 grenade attack, he made a sudden and irrelevant remark on the chief of the military in a targeted plot motivated by hate in an attempt to stir unrest among the armed forces, which is equivalent to sedition.” “Why and at whose bidding a highly educated person like Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury made such targeted, fabricated and false statements on a talk show is a matter that deserves to be investigated.”
On Aug 20, Chowdhury claimed on Somoy TV that the head of the military, General Aziz Ahmed, had been court-martialled during his assignment as the ‘GOC Chattogram’ due to arms and ammunition stolen from the cantonment. The army headquarters sent a response on the issue, which Somoy TV broadcast along with a statement. “The present Chief of Army Staff General Aziz Ahmed has never served as the GOC or commandant in Chattogram cantonment in his career. He was the commander of 33 artillery brigade in Cumilla from Sept 2010 to Jun 2011; brigade commander of 6 individual ADA brigade in Mirpur Dhaka from Jun 2011 to May 2012 and GOC of the 33 infantry division in Cumilla from May 2012 to Dec 2012,” the statement reads. “There has been no incident of stealing arms and ammunitions during the stated time in Cumilla or Chattogram cantonment. It is to be noted that the present Chief of Army Staff has never faced any court martial in his long career in the army.” Chowdhury later apologised for his mistake.
“I made an incorrect statement regarding the current army chief General Aziz Ahmed by mistake,” he said at a press conference on Saturday. “I apologise sincerely for spreading incorrect information and am shocked that I have done so. I had no intention of defaming General Aziz. I express my sincere regret for any unintentional offence to General Aziz.” Asked whether he withdrew his remarks, he said: “My choice of words was incorrect. It is that simple. Of course I will apologise for my mistake.” He also said that he had not been ‘threatened’ over the remarks. “I am not susceptible to threats. I am not afraid.”
The ISPR sent another statement to the media protesting Zafrullah’s remarks at the press conference.
Zafrullah was attempting to ‘insinuate’ that the grenades used in the Aug 21 attack had been sourced from the army, the ISPR. “Spreading such false information on a talk show the night before the verdict in the Aug 21 grenade attack is a targeted act. He did not attempt to correct that statement at the press conference.
“It is clear from his remarks that he was attempting to create unrest among all those assigned to the armed forces and is attempting to damage the reputation of the army chief on the national and international stage, attempting to belittle the Bangladeshi army, a symbol of our independence and sovereignty.”
