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PRE-1/11 AFFAIRS

Army at heart of crisis formulas

Politicians, businessmen, civil society suggested military solutions

Star Report
In the wake of escalating political tensions in 2006, various political factions, echoing suggestions by business community and civil society, approached foreign missions with several proposals and sought military solutions.
The most common variation had the army persuading the then president/ chief adviser lajuddin Ahmed to postpone elections, which was slated for January 22, 2007, for six months to two years; to resign as the chief adviser; and to appoint a new CA and council
and/or a national unity government.
The then US ambassador Patricia A Butenis reported these to Washington through a classified cable dispatched in the morning of January 11, 2007, hours before lajuddin declared a state of emergency that also led to cancellation of the scheduled polls. The day termed by many as 1 /11.
Another proposal was sending BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina in exile, the cable said.
Others include a state of emergency declared either by the caretaker government or a newly elected BNP government after January 22 in which the military would have a large policy or political role, or martial law, or a coup.
Some said the military was hesitant to engage without a signal from the US, Butenis wrote in the cable.
A United Nations representative told the ambassador that the then chief of army staff Gen Moeen U Ahmed had complained to her of the horrendous pressure he was under to step in and solicited a UN letter threatening to strip the army of peacekeeping duties should it acted extra-constitutionally.
Citing the discussion of a meeting with former president and Jatiya Party chief HM Ershad on January 8, 2007, Butenis said Ershad also floated a similar see-
nario suggesting a military-backed national unity government.
The US ambassador, at one point in the cable, mentioned Awami League President Sheikh Hasina earlier told her that she was not troubled by military involvement if it “could make things okay".
“With both sides entrenched in their respective positions, frustration among civic and business leaders continue to fuel public speculation over ways to involve the military and circumvent the BNP and AL,” wrote Butenis.
Butenis mentioned in her cable that the US embassy, the British high commission and other missions in Dhaka continued publicly and privately to oppose any extra-constitutional role for the military with senior military officers vowing till then to keep the military politically neutral and to refrain from unconstitutionalactions.
They further emphasised that the prevalent situation was the result of political disagreements among the parties and required a civilian, political solution, the ambassador wrote, adding that the military must continue to act solely under and in support of the civilian government and within the boundaries of the constitution.
“While we will continue to see attempts to draw in the military at least through election day, at this point the military is holding firm,” she wrote.