Politicians and security experts have expressed serious concerns over the interim government’s initiative to train youths in a bid to strengthen ‘national defence’ without any policy or a political consensus on such a crucial issue.
They said that the self-defence-related basic training progamme, initiated by the youth and sports ministry, to provide residential training to youths aged between 18 and 35 ahead of the national elections in February might have an ‘ill-motive’ as the selection process of the trainees was not transparent.
They also pointed out that it was not in the jurisdiction of the youth ministry to deal with the national defence issues and even the initiative did not match the character of the interim government formed days after the fall of the authoritarian regime of Sheikh Hasina amid a student-led mass uprising in August, 2024 for a democratic transition.Â
‘The interim government should go after holding the national polls and leave such matters to the elected government,’ Bangladesh Nationalist Party standing committee member and former minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ·.
He said that the tenure of the interim government was not open-ended.
The youth and sports ministry is set to launch next week the residential programme to equip initially 8,850 young people with basic combat and protection skills, including martial arts and shooting in three years.
Youth and sports adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, however, highlighted the initiative in a Facebook post on October 20 as a move to strengthen the national defence.
He wrote, ‘A total of 8,250 youths and 600 young women will initially receive training at seven centres across the country. They will be trained in karate, judo, taekwondo and firearms.’
Asked for comment, Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies president retired Major General ANM Muniruzzaman said that such an initiative required massive consultations at the national level and approval of the Jatiya Sangsad.
‘Since we do not have any national policy to provide defence training to the youths, such a move requires massive consultations and the approval of parliament. Moreover, the matter goes under the defence and the home ministry,’ he said.
The security expert said that the wrong persons might get the training if they were recruited without ‘security reading’.
‘This initiative has worried many ahead of the national polls,’ the retired military officer said.
Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh general secretary Saiful Huq said that it was a matter of concern that the youth ministry had taken the training programme for the youths which was not in the jurisdiction of a single ministry.
‘The government should immediately stop this kind of efforts. It is a national issue and no ministry can take this decision without a political consensus,’ said the senior politician, adding that the state power cannot be used in this way so that a quarter could take the advantage ahead of the polls.
Retired Brigadier General Shahedul Anam Khan said that it needed a long-term policy to train the youths for the country’s national defence and so it was not the responsibility of the interim government in any way.
However, the defence and the home ministries must be consulted if the training involved matters related to the national security, the security analyst and columnist added.
Chief coordinator of Rashtra Sangskar Andolan Hasnat Qayyum said that such a move taken without any consultations with political parties could turn dangerous. ‘It does not even match the character of the interim government. It is a matter of wide consultations at the national level,’ he said, calling on the interim government chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus to hold back the programme.Â
Moreover, youths aged 30-35 or were usually not given training on any sports discipline, according to officials.
Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Pratisthan director general Brigadier General Md Munirul Islam that the they were set to launch the Tk28 crore programme on November 9 designed for three years.
‘We have so far received as many as 6894 applications—6,358 male and 536 female—since the online process began on October 17,’ he said.
The BKSP issued a circular on October 16, announcing the programme to be implemented under the youth and sports ministry’s supervision. Â
It said that in the first phase, 8,850 youths -- 8,250 males and 600 females aged 18-35 -- will be trained in martial arts and shooting disciplines at seven BKSP residential training centres across the country.
The mention of ‘firearms’ in Asif’s post sparked criticisms and confusions. On the following day, he made another post stating that ‘8,250 young men and 600 young women aged 18 to 35 will receive training’, replacing ‘firearms’ with simply ‘shooting’ a sports discipline under the BKSP.
He shared four photo cards with his post -- one of which continued to mention ‘firearms.’
Speaking to BBC Bangla recently, the adviser explained, ‘The idea is to implement mass defence in Bangladesh. Given our military and geographical realities, this is essential. It doesn’t mean we will always have to go to war, but it’s important to maintain morale and increase the number of reserve forces.’
He said, ‘Considering Bangladesh’s geographic and military position, mass defence is our only option. If someone has basic training and at least knows how to operate a weapon, they can serve the country if given arms.’
According to the BKSP admission notice, the 15-day residential training will be conducted in 114 batches at BKSP centres in Dhaka, Cox’s Bazar, Chattogram, Khulna, Barishal, Sylhet, and Dinajpur.
Eligible candidates must be Bangladeshi citizens aged 18 to 35, physically and mentally fit, and have passed at least the Secondary School Certificate examination.
Participants will receive free accommodation, meals, a tracksuit, T-shirts, and shoes during the course. Upon successful completion, they will be awarded a certificate and a daily allowance of Tk 300, amounting to Tk 4,200 for the entire training period, according the notice.