Google Alert – BD Army
The Bangladesh Army has formed a “high-level” board to investigate allegations of sexual assault against a senior officer, reportedly made by the wife of a former army officer.
The disclosure was made in a statement posted on the Army’s verified social media page on Friday afternoon.
The statement followed the release of a video on Thursday night by expatriate journalist Elias Hossain on his YouTube channel.
In the video, the wife of a former major alleged that in her husband’s absence, a brigadier general raped her on the night of Eid-ul-Azha.
She claimed to have later married the brigadier general, but after becoming pregnant, she suffered a miscarriage due to physical abuse, and was subsequently divorced by him.
According to her account in the video, her husband, then serving as a major, was arrested in a robbery case and is currently in prison. She said she married the brigadier general as she was struggling to raise her child alone.
The Army statement said, “Recently, an allegation concerning the abuse of a woman by a senior army officer has been circulated on social media. The complainant is the former wife of a former army officer. The former officer was previously convicted in a sensational criminal case, dismissed from service, and is currently serving a prison sentence.”
The statement added that the army was aware of the issue before it surfaced on social media and had already initiated an investigation.
“Given the complainant’s social standing and the sensitivity of the incident, the army proceeded with due caution, conducting the necessary processes under military law. The accused senior officer has already been relieved of his duties, and a high-level investigation board has been formed to uncover the truth. Disciplinary action against the senior officer is currently under way,” it said.
It noted that under army regulations, a dismissed member is not entitled to medical treatment, state accommodation, or other facilities. However, the brigadier general’s family was temporarily allowed to stay in their official accommodation on “humanitarian grounds”, in consideration of his child’s SSC examinations.
The statement reaffirmed that the Bangladesh Army is committed to moral values and discipline and does not tolerate misconduct or unethical behaviour. It said the army investigates all allegations against its members with due seriousness and takes strict action under the law if offences are proven.