Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury has apologised for his remarks about army chief General Aziz Ahmed, which prompted sharp reactions from the Bangladesh Army.
Known to be a pro-BNP intellectual, Chowdhury called a press conference on Saturday (Oct 13), when he said he was sorry for what he described "wrong choice of words" and "word-confusion" during a talk show on Oct 9.
According to him, he had said 'one inaccurate information about the army chief', which was an honest mistake. 

“General Aziz is a skilled artillery officer. He was not the GOC or commandant of the Chattogram Cantonment. He was an artillery trainer in Chattogram once during his career. There were no court marshals against him. A court of inquiry was opened against him once. I am extremely sorry for the incorrect statements and word-confusion,” Chowdhury said.
During the Oct 9 talk show, Zafrullah said, “....our current chief of staff Aziz was a Commander in Chattogram, He was a GOC and commandant there. Huge number of weapons, ammunition was stolen, lost, sold from there; for which General Aziz faced a court-martial.”
The Army Headquarters, strongly opposing Chowdhury’s remarks, said, “Zafarullah Chowdhury’s comments about the Chief of Staff General Aziz Ahmed were irresponsible and untrue because the incumben chief never served as the GOC or Commandant in Chattogram. He served as a Brigade Commander of 33rd Artillery Brigade from Sept 2010 to Jun 2011 in Cumilla, as the Brigade Commander of 6th Independent ADA Brigade in Dhaka from June 2011 to May 2012 in Dhaka, and he was the GOC of 33rd Infantry Division in Cumilla from May 2012 to December.”
“No incident of stealing or loss of weapons or ammunition took place in Chattogram or Cumilla Cantonment during the said time. It should be noted here that the present Chief of Staff General Aziz Ahmed has never faced the court-martial in his long illustrated career,” the rejoinder added.
It also said, “Such irresponsible and untrue statements about a dignified serving army chief is intentional, which clearly appears to be malicious attempts to undermine a state institution like the army including its chief in public.”