The Bangladesh Army has played an exemplary role in shaping the civilian affairs and the military is seen as the last resort in case of civilian emergencies. Bangladesh Army, rather than being bogged down in political interference as in other militaries in South Asia, has maintained favourable civil-military relations. The positive civil-military balance projects the Bangladesh Army as a guardian in periods of national crisis. These crisis periods loom large in developing states.
There is a positive public perception of the military among general citizens. The positive perception has become firmer as the army demonstrated long-term professionalism and extended support in the crisis periods.
This confidence rooted out friction that clouds the military-civilian interface in other third-world developing nations. In cases of political impasse in the country, the military is often seen as a guardian angel, with public opinion favourably tilted to the military as a source of stability and order.
In many countries, the military tries to subdue the public sphere, which makes room for frequent takeovers and coups, a phenomenon fashionably termed as “garrison state.” In such a case, the military is dismissive of civilian rule and vagaries of civil politics and opts for a political model where the military runs administrative affairs.
In some other countries, the military is relied upon as a guardian to steer countries to stability and order, a model termed “praetorian state.” In the model, it is assumed that the military can run bureaucratic operations that have been the preserve of civilian functions.
Farther afield in South Asia, the strategic culture puts the military on a high pedestal. There is a constant turf of power contests between civilians and the military, and the strained civil-military dynamics spill over to the country’s stability and order.
Bangladesh provides a striking outlier in this case.
Bangladesh emerged from a bloody freedom struggle, in which the military played a central role. But the strategic culture in Bangladesh’s military is such that, over the years, it shirked away from undue political interference. This positive outlook is rare in modern military history, more so, given the military’s active role in the War of Independence.
In the current scenario, the civil-military relations in Bangladesh are shaped by the military’s active role in stabilizing non-traditional security issues such as disasters, national calamities, health emergencies, and inter-communal harmony.
Also, the military plays an adjunct role in matters of civilian security, in events when the civilian security apparatus is caught off guard in high-stakes situations. Also, currently Bangladesh Army is fielded in “aid to civil power,” for the current phase of political transition.
Bangladesh’s risk profile is high in the case of environmental crises and calamities. Bangladesh ranked seventh in the Global Climate Risk Index 2021 and its unique geographical formation, its low-lying terrain, and flood-plain topography make it vulnerable to climatic hazards.
Floods are one of the most common climate hazards, greatly intensified by riverine geography, with Bangladesh lying between three great river systems: Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna.
The floods in 2024 were damaging and stranded millions of people and the Bangladesh Army helped tremendously, with its swift deployment controlling the issue to a great degree. The military has come to the frontlines in assistance, relief distribution, and collaboration with agencies to support the affected communities.
In disaster response, the Bangladesh Army is not only reactive, but rather the army focuses on infrastructure development, critical for beefing up the nation’s resilience against disasters.
The initiatives include the coastal embankment project, disaster shelters construction, and urban resilience programs. These initiatives are seen as proactive measures, geared towards easing vulnerability and enhancing national preparedness.
Bangladesh Army integrates a dedicated Light, Medium and Heavy Urban Search and Rescue team in its military formation to initiate robust response in the event of any future disaster. It has prepared a dedicated web-based database to ease its response in future disaster scenarios.
The Armed Forces Division (AFD) is in close collaboration with Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR), for establishing a sustainable communication system, codenamed as “Disaster Response Emergency Communication System” and has emerged as a key stakeholder in case of disaster management, and maintains close collaboration with civilian command structures, to respond to any future disasters.
Landslides are also a major hazard, especially in the hill tracts of Bangladesh as a result of heavy rainfall. There have been widespread landslides in Rangamati, Khagrachari, Cox’s Bazar, and Bandarban. The infrastructure and communication channels at these times get heavily damaged. Back in 2017 when this crisis was particularly pronounced, the military came to the rescue and supported the affected people with relief, shelter, and medical facilities. The attrition rate of the rescue operations was high, and it resulted in heavy losses for the Bangladesh Army.
Bangladesh’s geographic location at the Alpine-Himalayan belt also makes it a seismically-active zone. The cities of Dhaka, Chittagong, and Sylhet remain at high risk of destruction from the nearby seismic faults.
While there has been no severe earthquake in Bangladesh till now, the rapid urbanization might result in severe losses. Bangladesh army remains proactive with the prospect of a possible earthquake, and Bangladesh Armed Forces regularly organizes exercises on earthquake disasters. The national contingency plan is developed with inputs and collaboration with the United States Army Pacific, personnel of the Armed Forces, and other relevant stakeholders.
As a massive earthquake assaulted Turkiye in 2023 and caused immense destruction and loss of life, the Bangladesh army executed a post-earthquake rescue operation, and distributed tents, medical facilities, and food items, a move highly acclaimed by the Turkish government. Earlier during the earthquake in Nepal, a medical team of Bangladesh Army went with necessary medical support to earthquake victims, and extended humanitarian assistance in forms of foods, clothing and other relief items.
During the Covid-19 spikes and transmission, army troopers were deployed to patrol shutdown areas and monitored that the people were not leaving home unless in extreme cases. This has created behavioural changes among the general people, as the sight of the military had a deterrent effect, and as a result, the infection rate tailed off.
In the transmission of Covid-19 infections, international flights were considered cross-national vectors of the virus. In Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Bangladesh Army had set up four institutional quarantine centres with 3000 bed capacity, which isolated suspected carriers of the virus. Bangladesh Army also provided free medical services to the distressed people during Covid-19, when medical facilities were spread thin in traditional medical centres.
Man-made hazards are also frequent in Bangladesh, and the collapse of Rana Plaza factory building 2013 is cited as one of the most disastrous incidents in the history of this country and shook the conscience of the people. The nimble rescue operations as commandeered by Bangladesh army played a part in reducing death tolls.
Similarly, a violent fire erupted in the clothing market of Bangabazar in 2023, leaving the shops and clothes charred, and imposing losses on the owners. The Bangladesh army stepped in and conducted rescue operations that reduced the extent of destruction.
In the post-July 2024 political tumult and disarray, the army has played a critical role in attempting to preserve law and order - an additional mandate to its traditional operational tasks. The performance of the army in dispensing these tasks has been exemplary.
The army has protected key point installations, maintained a semblance of public security, prevented a spiral of chaos in the RMG sector, helped recover caches of illegal arms and ammunition, and attempted to preserve communal harmony. In the post-July 2024 period, the public trust in the police plummeted, and the army’s presence in public affairs maintained some modicum of public safety and calm.
In Bangladesh, ethnic and religious fault lines are sources of chaos, and certain quarters try to sow discord between the religious and ethnic groups, tarnishing the peaceful symbiosis and existence among the groups.
The Bangladesh Army has maintained a watchful stance in this regard, which has foiled the plots of the deliberate and motivated disturbances in the country. For example, the Bangladesh Army has been deployed to ensure security in religious festivals, which prevents any untoward turn of events during what is a fragile political time.
The army has maintained a delicate distance from civilian affairs but has also been a prime responder in cases of crises in civilian life. The army’s role in the post-July 2024 period has been commendable, and Bangladesh Army has provided security as a public good as per the “aid to civil power” mandate.
The extension to the army in the civilian affairs has restored confidence in a period of political turmoil when uncertainty gripped the nation. Given the army’s critical role in civilian affairs in Bangladesh, any intended plot by any vested quarters to tarnish the army as an institution will boomerang.
Major Abu Rushd Muhammed Shaikh, MPhil, AEC is a serving army officer.
