It seems that the just released army probe report into the BDR mutiny missed an important element concerning the indecision in taking an offensive military option against the mutineers. From the executive summary that appeared in virtually all the newspapers there was no mention of the cause for indecisiveness and lack of readiness of military equipment and weaponry. It appears that many of our senior military officers were in India on a joint training mission during those few critical and tragic days. Was this mere coincidence or a pre- planned exercise to divert a section of our officers and soldiers away from Dhaka in those crucial hours when an immediate decision was imperative to save lives? I will leave that to the readers to decide but I think the nation deserves an answer. India, Bangladesh continue joint military exercise despite mutiny in Dhaka NEW DELHI, Feb. 26 ( Xinhua) - - India and Bangladesh continued their first joint military exercise in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district Thursday despite an on-going mutiny in Bangladesh, reported the private Indo- Asian News Service. The Indian Army, Air Force and Bangladesh Army started on Feb. 22 the two-week exercise "to test their battlefield tactics," said the report. "The exercise is not in any ways affected by the developments in Bangladesh ," the report quoted an unnamed senior army official as saying. Indian Army and Air Force personnel held a firepower demonstration at a firing range Tuesday, while some of the most powerful weapons in the Indian armoury, like Bofors guns, T-27 guns from the artillery and MiG-27 , MiG-17 and Cheetah helicopters took part in the exercise, said the report. The exercise is also aimed at anti-terrorist purposes to fight "terrorist and insurgency problems", said the report. Thousands of Bangladesh Rifles para-military soldiers staged a mutiny Wednesday in Dhaka against to press for a series of demands including increasing salary and getting better facilities.
