Erosion of Military Professionalism, Crisis of Personal Ethics: A Moral-Strategic Review 

In mid-2003/2004, when I was undertaking the Basic Commando and Advanced Commando courses at the School of Infantry and Tactics (SI&T) in Sylhet, I was living through a dreamlike chapter of my military life. Right next to our Officers' Mess building lived officers undergoing various courses, including the BUFFALO course�"they were the 'crème de la crème' of the army.

To participate in the Bangladesh Army's BUFFALO course (specializing in Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare) and the Free-Fall (Parachuting) course, one must first complete the Advanced Commando course. The selection rate for these courses is approximately 20-25% (according to unpublished data from Army Headquarters). As relatively junior trainees with shorter course durations, we naturally felt curiosity and respect when we witnessed their fitness, technical skills, and mental fortitude. Officers like then-Captain Helal, Captain Imrul, Captain Redwan, and Captain Ruslan (later Colonels/Brigadiers) were icons to us. On one such occasion, I developed a personal acquaintance with Captain Redwan�"he was exceptionally soft-spoken, witty, and cheerful. Everyone knew him as the 'Gentleman Commando'.

Between 2009 and 2024, the specialized units of the Bangladesh Army�"including Specialized Commandos, Para-Commandos, and Counter-Insurgency Forces�"were increasingly deployed for domestic political purposes. In this article, I aim to present an anthropological and strategic analysis of the erosion of military professionalism, the crisis of personal ethics, and the distortion of state structures, based on my personal observations and available reports. 

What I witnessed in August 2024 was beyond belief. During the mass uprising, when not only the Armed Forces but also the BGB (Bangladesh Border Guard) were deployed on the streets, I saw Lieutenant Colonel Redwan�"that gentle-hearted man�"armed, and I stood frozen. The question arises:

Is this the same Redwan, whose eyes and face radiated patriotism, who often expressed anguish over the role of our neighboring state, who once proudly declared over a cup of tea at the 'T-Bar' that he could give his life for the country?

Psychological research�"the Milgram experiment (Milgram, 1963) and Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment (1971)�"shows that authoritarian structures can render ordinary people capable of cruelty. But the question here is�"was Redwan merely a 'follower of orders,' or had he himself become part of that system?

Let's analyze further�"in military psychology, a common form of 'cognitive dissonance' is reconciling one's rigorous training and ideals with conflicting realities. However, for a top-trained officer like Redwan, 'merely following orders' is not a valid excuse, as his training explicitly included ethical reasoning and the laws of war (Geneva Conventions, Protocol I, Articles 48-58).

Logically, the question arises�"who or what compelled him? Is this structural accountability, or a dereliction of duty? This is not about a single individual�"it is the result of a distorted system. From 2009 to 2024, the Awami League government transformed the military into a tool for 'paramilitary policing.' Some notable instances:

•    Deployment of the army during the political crisis of 2013-14.
•    Deployment of commandos during the road safety protests of 2018.
•    Active military involvement in the July-August 2024 uprising�"which, according to various journals, newspapers, and media reports, was identified not as 'internal security' but as 'political repression.'

Here, it is not just Lieutenant Colonel Ziaul Ahsan; rather, the Prime Minister's Military Secretariat, intelligence agencies, and certain cabinet members�"all were indirect enablers. Each of these individuals may come under the scrutiny of the UN Human Rights Commission investigation (UNHRC Resolution 54/2024).

Integrity vs. Opportunity�"A Structural Analysis of Ethics:

Based on my experience, I can name a few exceptional officers whom I personally know, such as: Brigadier Imrul Hasan, Colonel Touhid Chowdhury, (late) Colonel Emdad, Brigadier General Naser (17 Long Course), Major General Naeem Ashfaq Chowdhury, (late) Major Salam, Major Imtiaz (25 BMA)�"these officers rejected the Awami League government's 'lucrative offers.' They possessed honesty and integrity. They prioritized constitutional ideals and professional probity. Often, even honest individuals become compromised in certain situations, but those with integrity remain uncompromising in upholding their moral values�"as was the case with the aforementioned officers. I hope the current government will duly recognize their integrity. Major Habib, who was posted with Ziaul Ahsan in RAB, but because he could not commit crimes like Ziaul, he remains a 'Major,' denied promotion to this day.

But the question here: Were those who rejected offers simply honest because they 'didn't get the opportunity'? Or did they possess a genuine moral compass?

According to philosopher Immanuel Kant's 'Deontological Ethics' and Alasdair MacIntyre's 'Virtue Ethics'�"true integrity depends on internal moral sense and moral courage, which is proven not by the absence of opportunity, but by restraint despite having opportunities. On the other hand, in strategically and legally analyzing the misuse of commandos, my question is�"can commandos trained in Counter-Insurgency, Parachuting, Free-Fall, and Mountain Warfare be used to suppress ordinary citizens?

•    The Constitution of Bangladesh (Articles 7, 31, 32) guarantees citizens' security and legal recourse.
•    Forces like the Police and RAB exist�"they are responsible for identifying crimes and conducting operations against criminals, not the army.
•    The use of commandos contravenes the UN's 'Basic Principles on the Use of Force' (1990), which states that military forces should be deployed only as a 'last resort' and with 'proportionate force.'

Simply put�"this was like creating a 'puppet state' within the state. Over the past 17 years, during Sheikh Hasina's rule, the army was gradually transformed into a 'parallel state.' That is, leveraging the spirit of independence, anti-autocracy ideals, and the ethos of the Liberation War, a new 'state-institution' was erected�"whose tasks were:

•    Suppressing critics
•    Curbing freedom of expression
•    Weakening opposition parties
•    Engaging in internal competition over 'who is more loyal'

Thus, my call is for a reconstruction of ethics. Many of the officers we once considered role models have now become dark pages in history. However, all is not lost. We demand:
1.    Formation of an independent investigation commission (modeled on the War Crimes Tribunal).
2.    Restoration of professionalism within the military.
3.    Mandatory ethical training and psychological counseling.
4.    Legal obligations restricting commando deployment solely to the defense of sovereignty.
5.    Strict decisions to ensure that commandos, who are specifically trained for counter-intelligence and counter-insurgency operations in the interest of the state and sovereignty, are not deployed against the country's own citizens.

We must remember�"true power lies with the people, not in weapons. And any army that stands against its own people ultimately digs its own grave�"history has repeatedly proven this (Vietnam, Argentina, Myanmar).