The BBC reports that along with the national security portfolio, the Bangladeshi army is now encroaching on the civilian government’s major writ to spur on commercial activity.
Through interests in commercial banking and the hospitality industry, food production and textiles, the Army is branching out as a leader in Bangladesh’s economy.
The BBC reportages suggest that there’s collusion in the works. The Army leadership, under a previous Army lead caretaker government might have engaged in irregular banking commercial activity, though there may well be society-wide commercial benefits to the military’s wide approach to its business interests.
Based on the model followed by the Pakistani military, the Bangladeshi military’s business interests seems to increase under civilian rule, than under military rule. It’ll hardly be surprising if one were to find evidence of pay-outs in private contracts during previous BNP and AL governments to keep the military under bay.
Nevertheless, this business model has its share of critics. Perhaps, none more important than the Commissioner charged with investigating the 2009 BDR mutiny. There seems to be evidence that the mutineers resented the allegedly corrupt commercial retail activities of their senior officers.
Indeed, retired military brass have gone on public record to suggest that, perhaps the military might be best off returning to the barracks to attend to its primary writ–national security and its protection.