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Army Spending

Transparency sought

Staff Correspondent
Politicians, academicians, civil society members and military officials have underscored the need for more transparency in military affairs, particularly in expenditures, to promote civil-military relations. People know nothing about the military budget and how the money is spent, they said, adding, even lawmakers don't know about the allocation for theArmed Force Division (AFD) inthenewbudget.
Speaking at the inaugural session of a two-day workshop on "Civil-Military Relations: Trust Building" at Sheraton Hotel in the city yesterday, the speakers suggested revitalising and redefining the role of ISPR (Inter Services Public Relations).
The ISPR can take proactive steps for more interactions with civilians and improve relations with them, they added.
The Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BUSS) organised the workshop with the support of the Defence Institute Reform Initiative (DIRI), the USA
Speaking as the chief guest, lawmaker and chairman of parliamentary standing committee on defence ministry M Idris Ali termed the military spendinga"blackhole".
"The defence allocation is more than $ 1 billion, but people don't know what happens with the money. There should be transparency about whatever takes place in the area of military,” Idris, also a former defence secretary, said.
He added the draft defence policy has been sent to the AFD to incorporate opinions.
"There are many ideas that may be included in the policy, one of which is creating a national service body under which youths aged between 18 and 35 will be given military and other training to serve the country," he said.
"Much of the routine activities of Bangladesh military are shrouded in secrecy away from the public. There is no discussion about how the money will be spent," Registrar of BRAC University Air Commodore Ishtiaq Ilahi Choudhury said in his presentation on "Improving Military's Ability to Relate with Civil Society in Bangladesh".
He said healthy civil-military relations based on mutual respect and understanding is important for building a democratic society. "A strictly apolitical military institution acts as a pillar of democracy rather than a threat to it, "he observed.
In his presentation styled "Identifying and Promoting Common Goals to Build Confidence and Trust in Civil-Military Relations in Bangladesh", Prof Syed Anwar Husain of Dhaka University
highlighted different phases and topsy-turvy in civil-military relations since independence.
He explained the issue of politicisation of military from 1972 to 1990 and militarisation of politics between 1975 and 1990 and the civil-military relations in post-Ershad era.
"Over the four decades Bangladesh has had both the worst and hopeful times in the relationship and the responsibility, for which devolves on both the civil and military segments of the society," he said.
"Burying the past civil-military relations needs to be forward-looking and the necessary changes of mindset involving both sides are in order to keep pace with the fast changingtimes," said Prof Anwar.
Ambassador Harun-or Rashid also raised the issue of military spending. He said people want to know what the military do in peace time.
Prof Shahiduzzaman, Prof Amena Mohsin, former army chief Lt Gen Mabbubur Rahman, Chief Information Commissioner Mohammad Zamir, Chief General of Staff Lt Gen Md Mainul Islam and Editor of New Nation Mostafa Kamal Majumder also addressed the workshop presided over by Chairman of BUSS Board of Directors Maj Gen Muhammed Firdous Mian.