Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman on Thursday laid the foundation stone for the Army International Islamic Institute (AIII) at the Jalsiri housing estate in Dhaka’s Purbachal area – a move that has triggered unease and criticism within sections of the country’s armed forces and strategic community.
During the foundation-laying ceremony, Gen Zaman was seen offering prayers with raised arms alongside senior officers from Army Headquarters and the Logistics Area. Defence sources said the act has raised questions over adherence to established military legal frameworks, including the Manual of Bangladesh Military Law, Army Rules (Regulation) and Army Rules (Instructions), under which overt religious practices are considered punishable offences.
The Bangladesh Army has projected the initiative as part of efforts to strengthen the national education system by integrating value-based education with modern academic curricula. According to official plans, academic activities at the first AIII campus in Jalsiri are scheduled to begin in July this year. Construction of another institute building is already underway in Chittagong, with proposals to gradually expand similar institutions to other Army formation areas.
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However, secular sections within the armed forces have expressed disquiet, viewing the development as a significant step towards the Islamisation of the Army’s rank and file. Defence sources argued that establishing religious institutions within the military framework could contribute to further radicalisation, in direct violation of military laws that explicitly restrict involvement in politics, gender-based discrimination and overt religious practices, violations of which can attract court martial and even dismissal from service.
Political and strategic analysts in Dhaka, speaking on condition of anonymity, traced the roots of Islamisation in the Bangladesh Army to the late 1970s, during the regimes of Ziaur Rahman and H.M. Ershad, when Islam was promoted to gain political legitimacy.
“In the backdrop of Awami League’s ouster, Islamist groups such as Jamaat-e-Islami, are active in full swing to influence the armed forces through ideological networks and coaching centres. If the trend continues unchecked, it could undermine the professional and secular character of the Bangladesh Army and potentially create friction with the defence forces of other countries,” said an analyst in Dhaka.
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