Dhaka, 20 May 2007 — Eighteen major generals of the Bangladesh Army have been assigned to supervise functioning of different ministries to oversee smooth functioning of the military-backed interim government.
The decision to assign the generals to aid the civil administration came as only ten advisers of the nonparty caretaker government have virtually failed to run the administration efficiently as they are overworked. Each of the generals has been allocated one or two ministries for supervision of the work of the civil bureaucracy so that corrupt practices could not impede smooth functioning of the caretaker government headed by chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed.
They do the supervisory work in addition to their normal military duties, reports said yesterday. Ahmed told the BBC recently that he is in charge of the government and the army is only helping him in running it.
The armed forces swung into action in aid of the civil administration after President Iajuddin Ahmed declared a state of emergency in Bangladesh on Jan. 11 following a complete breakdown in the law and order situation.
Meanwhile, the president, who is in charge of the Defense Ministry, has approved a proposal for upgrading the top posts in the three services, Establishment Ministry sources said.
According to the proposal, the rank of the chief of Bangladesh Army will be upgraded from lieutenant general to a full general, the chief of the navy will be made a vice admiral instead of rear admiral while the top boss of the air force will be an air marshal instead of the present air vice marshal. All principal staff officers of the army, who are now major generals, will rise to the rank of lieutenant generals, the Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) of navy will be rear admirals instead of commodores and in the case of the air force the PSOs will be an air vice marshal instead of air commodore.
