By IANS,
Dhaka: The Bangladesh government has declared as deserter an army brigadier general who was a top military intelligence official posted in its mission in Washington last year.
Brigadier General Chowdhury Fazlul Bari could face a court martial if he returns home, The Daily Star said Sunday.
Bari lives with his family in Washington after his leave was rejected and he relinquished charge at the embassy. He has the support of his in-laws who are American citizens.
Bari was the Number 2 man in the Directorate General of Field Intelligence (DGFI), the military intelligence organisation that is known to be used by successive governments for keeping a surveillance over political opponents, during the regime of Begum Khaleda Zia (2001-06).
His brother Chowdhury Ashraful Bari Noman, a leader of the Zia-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party, told the newspaper: “Bari told me he was never involved in any subversive activities or corruption, and (that) he will come home in future.”
Bari was posted to the US mission last year by a caretaker government that ruled Bangladesh during 2007-08.
The military authorities have declared Bari a deserter who defied repeated orders by the new government that took office in January this year.
“As he was declared a deserter last month, he can now be arrested at any time if he returns home,” the newspaper quoted an unnamed army source as saying.