The Detective Branch (DB) has opened a probe against Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Zafrullah Chowdhury after an army officer filed a general diary with police against him for ‘false, intentional and treasonous’ remarks over the army chief in a TV talk show.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Masudur Rahman said that the DB South has been assigned to investigate the matter.
“One of their teams has already started the process,” he told Bangla Tribune.
On Friday (Oct 12), Major M Rakibul Alam of the Army Headquarters filed a general diary with the Cantonment Police Station in Dhaka.
Zafrullah’s remarks on the night before Aug 21 attack verdict tantamount to sedition as it was a targeted plot to stir unrest among the armed forces, says the complaint filed with police.
A leader of a pro-BNP professional group supporting, Zafrullah had made headlines for his remarks during a Somoy TV talk show on Oct 9, when he claimed army chief General Aziz Ahmed had been court-martialled while serving as the GOC of Chattorgram due to arms and ammunitions stolen from the cantonment.
The army headquarters sent a response on the issue, which Somoy TV broadcast along with a statement.
“The present Chief of Army Staff General Aziz Ahmed has never served as the GOC or commandant in Chattogram cantonment in his career. He was the commander of 33 artillery brigade in Cumilla from Sep 2010 to Jun 2011; brigade commander of 6 individual ADA brigade in Mirpur Dhaka from Jun 2011 to May 2012 and GOC of the 33 infantry division in Cumilla from May 2012 to Dec 2012,” the statement reads.
“There has been no incident of stealing arms and ammunitions during the stated time in Cumilla or Chattogram cantonment. It is to be noted that the present Chief of Army Staff has never faced any court martial in his long career in the army.
Zafrullah’s statement appears to be ‘intentional’ and it has been designed to ‘disdain the army, a national institute along with the army chief in public,’ stated the army headquarter rejoinder.
Following the response, Zafrullah held a press conference on Saturday (Oct 13), when apologised for his “incorrect statement” on the army chief “by mistake.”
“I apologise sincerely for spreading incorrect information and am shocked that I have done so. I had no intention of defaming General Aziz.
“I express my sincere regret for any unintentional offence to General Aziz,” said trustee board member of Gonoshasthyo Kendra.
Officials involved with the investigation said they were trying to understand the motive of the remarks by Zafrullah and also going through his statements made at other TV shows.