- Reaction score
- 35
- Points
- 560
Bangladesh : 3 battalions to find no room in Pilkhana
BDR reform proposals handed to Faruk Khan
In the backdrop of last February's bloody mutiny, three out of the four BDR battalions,
now based in its headquarters at Pilkhana, are likely to be moved outside the capital.
Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) sources said a set of proposals for BDR reforms was prepared
by a sub-committee, formed earlier and led by the BDR's director general (DG). The
committee yesterday evening in a meeting at Pilkhana placed the set of proposals for
BDR reforms, including its probable new name, before Commerce Minster Faruk Khan.
The moving of the three battalions is in the proposals, sources said.
Faruk Khan heads a committee, formed in the wake of BDR carnage, for coordinating
measures of the Prime Minister's Office and the home and defence ministries. Major
General Md Mainul Islam, DG of BDR, told The Daily Star last night, "Considering all
aspects, we gave complete proposals on the reforms of the force. Its organisational
structure, functions and all related matters are in the proposals." "If the government
approves the proposals in principle than we will go for the next step--implementation,"
said Gen Mainul declining to give any details about the proposals.
Representatives of the home ministry, Armed Forces Division, Army, Police, and Ansar
are members of the sub-committee. The National Defence College gave support to the
secretarial work of the sub-committee. "We proposed five new names for BDR. Of the
five, the most voted names are 'Bangladesh Border Guards' and 'Border Guards of Ban-
gladesh'," said a source. The source said, "BDR headquarters would remain in Pilkhana
but we have proposed to move three of the four battalions out of the headquarters."
Bangladesh Rifles 43, 44, 45, and 46 Battalion are based in the BDR headquarters and
soldiers of these battalions took part in the bloody mutiny on February 25-26 which left
74 persons killed including 57 of the army's finest officers who were on deputation there.
A source in the BDR said three battalions were proposed to be moved out of the capital
because those battalions were involved in the mutiny.
A BDR source said, "In fact, the four battalions at the headquarters are reserve forces.
If needed we could deploy these battalions anywhere outside the capital. But now we
think it is better to move their base out of Dhaka which would allow us to deploy them
in the border more quickly when required."
Sources say that the BDR now has 12 sectors and the sector headquarters command
their forces. The committee proposed a new modus operandi dividing the map of the
country into three regions and bringing the sectors under those regions. "We have
proposed moving the three battalions to three proposed regional headquarters as
reserve forces," said a BDR source. Only one battalion would remain in Pilkhana
headquarters as reserve force, the source said.
The committee proposed keeping the old slogan of BDR "Shimanter Otondro Prohori",
the sources said, adding that they also proposed changing the existing badge of the BDR.
"We proposed keeping a picture of border pillar behind the present badge of two
crossed rifles," source said.
Sources said the committee proposed three options on the structure of the force.
As per one of the three options, all officers of the force would be military officers
and other personnel of BDR would be recruited directly, the source said. "As a large
number of BDR personnel would lose their jobs for their role in the mutiny, we
proposed filling up the vacancies temporarily by bringing in personnel of same rank
from the army, police, Rab and Ansar," said another source. "A few years later when
the border force will have enough number of its own personnel, those from the army,
police, Rab and Ansar would be returned," said a source.
The source said another option is to have cent percent officers from the army and
filling 70 percent of other positions with BDR and the remaining position with army,
police, and Ansar personnel. "This 30 percent men would join the force on deputation
just prior to their retirement," said a source.
Another option is to have 90 percent officers from the army and 10 percent from the
police and Ansar. Army, police and Ansar men on deputation would fill half the other
posts and the other half would be appointed directly from the BDR.
The sources said they proposed a BDR uniform similar to the army's uniform but of a
different colour than that of the BDR.
BDR reform proposals handed to Faruk Khan
In the backdrop of last February's bloody mutiny, three out of the four BDR battalions,
now based in its headquarters at Pilkhana, are likely to be moved outside the capital.
Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) sources said a set of proposals for BDR reforms was prepared
by a sub-committee, formed earlier and led by the BDR's director general (DG). The
committee yesterday evening in a meeting at Pilkhana placed the set of proposals for
BDR reforms, including its probable new name, before Commerce Minster Faruk Khan.
The moving of the three battalions is in the proposals, sources said.
Faruk Khan heads a committee, formed in the wake of BDR carnage, for coordinating
measures of the Prime Minister's Office and the home and defence ministries. Major
General Md Mainul Islam, DG of BDR, told The Daily Star last night, "Considering all
aspects, we gave complete proposals on the reforms of the force. Its organisational
structure, functions and all related matters are in the proposals." "If the government
approves the proposals in principle than we will go for the next step--implementation,"
said Gen Mainul declining to give any details about the proposals.
Representatives of the home ministry, Armed Forces Division, Army, Police, and Ansar
are members of the sub-committee. The National Defence College gave support to the
secretarial work of the sub-committee. "We proposed five new names for BDR. Of the
five, the most voted names are 'Bangladesh Border Guards' and 'Border Guards of Ban-
gladesh'," said a source. The source said, "BDR headquarters would remain in Pilkhana
but we have proposed to move three of the four battalions out of the headquarters."
Bangladesh Rifles 43, 44, 45, and 46 Battalion are based in the BDR headquarters and
soldiers of these battalions took part in the bloody mutiny on February 25-26 which left
74 persons killed including 57 of the army's finest officers who were on deputation there.
A source in the BDR said three battalions were proposed to be moved out of the capital
because those battalions were involved in the mutiny.
A BDR source said, "In fact, the four battalions at the headquarters are reserve forces.
If needed we could deploy these battalions anywhere outside the capital. But now we
think it is better to move their base out of Dhaka which would allow us to deploy them
in the border more quickly when required."
Sources say that the BDR now has 12 sectors and the sector headquarters command
their forces. The committee proposed a new modus operandi dividing the map of the
country into three regions and bringing the sectors under those regions. "We have
proposed moving the three battalions to three proposed regional headquarters as
reserve forces," said a BDR source. Only one battalion would remain in Pilkhana
headquarters as reserve force, the source said.
The committee proposed keeping the old slogan of BDR "Shimanter Otondro Prohori",
the sources said, adding that they also proposed changing the existing badge of the BDR.
"We proposed keeping a picture of border pillar behind the present badge of two
crossed rifles," source said.
Sources said the committee proposed three options on the structure of the force.
As per one of the three options, all officers of the force would be military officers
and other personnel of BDR would be recruited directly, the source said. "As a large
number of BDR personnel would lose their jobs for their role in the mutiny, we
proposed filling up the vacancies temporarily by bringing in personnel of same rank
from the army, police, Rab and Ansar," said another source. "A few years later when
the border force will have enough number of its own personnel, those from the army,
police, Rab and Ansar would be returned," said a source.
The source said another option is to have cent percent officers from the army and
filling 70 percent of other positions with BDR and the remaining position with army,
police, and Ansar personnel. "This 30 percent men would join the force on deputation
just prior to their retirement," said a source.
Another option is to have 90 percent officers from the army and 10 percent from the
police and Ansar. Army, police and Ansar men on deputation would fill half the other
posts and the other half would be appointed directly from the BDR.
The sources said they proposed a BDR uniform similar to the army's uniform but of a
different colour than that of the BDR.
