Calls to try Moeen as Mubeen takes over

Dhaka, June 15 (bdnews24.com)—A senior BNP leader, along with the party's youth supporters, have demanded the arrest and trial of outgoing army chief General Moeen U Ahmed "for abusing power by violating the constitution". Gen Moeen retired from the force on Monday on completion of a four-year extended term as chief of army staff, handing over to Gen Md Abdul Mubeen. Moeen is widely considered to have been a key player in the '1/11' changeover in 2007, installing an interim government and in effect ruling the country during the subsequent two-year emergency. He was seen by many to be the man behind the jailing of a raft of top politicians on corruption charges, including the current prime minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition leader Khaleda Zia. BNP standing committee member and MP Moudud Ahmed demanded the trial of six army officers including the just-retired Moeen. Moudud, a former law minister, called upon the government to constitute an all-party committee for the purpose. "Six army officers including Moeen masterminded and executed all designs and work plans to render Bangladesh into a depoliticised and ineffective state," he claimed at a press briefing. The other five officers inlcude former home affairs and shipping adviser retired major general MA Matin, who is already facing charges of graft by a parliamentary probe committee. The others are lieutenant general Masududdin Chowdhury, former DGFI director brigadier general ATM Amin, brigadier general Fazlul Bari, who is reportedly seeking asylum in the US and former Anticorruption Commission chairman retired lieutenant general Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury, who is also facing scrutiny from a parliamentary body. Moudud has previously said those who harassed and persecuted politicians during the 2007-2008 emergency rule should be named and put on trial. He said a number of politicians were not only arrested, but physically tortured. He himself was persecuted while in the custody of the joint forces, he claimed. The former law minister had said some military officers "with wrong notions tarnished the image of our army during the emergency by implementing their own agenda". 'Immediate arrest' BNP-backed youth organisation Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal held a procession and rally in the ity's Paltan area on Monday to demand Moeen's immediate arrest. "General Moeen must be arrested within 24 hours and face trial. He has abused power and violated constitution," Jubo Dal chief Goyeswar Chandra Roy said addressing the rally. "He has hatched plot to prove the country as failed and weak state by depoliticising bid," said Roy, who is also a BNP joint secretary general. BNP student supporters burn Moeen effigy A band of pro-BNP Dhaka University students took part in a procession Monday under the banner 'Students against Repression' demanding Moeen's arrest and burning an effigy of the outgoing army chief. The group's leader Masud Khan Parvez urged the government to declare Moeen a traitor for violating the constitution. Dhaka University suffered five months of unrest in 2007 as tensions erupted between students and army personal stationed on campus during the two years of emergency. Teachers and students of Dhaka University and Rajshahi University were arrested as campus protests spread through educational institutions across the country. bdnews24.com/sm/ff/wz/khk/bd/rah/0201h.