Defence strategy is the most important aspect of any nation. While our hope is for peace, our policy and purpose is to make every effort to provide for our own defense, to the best of our ability.’ This historic statement by Thomas Jefferson, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and the country’s third president, is a guiding principle for the national defense and security policies of independent, sovereign and democratic states in the modern world. It is almost well established that, with few exceptions, the defense policies and national security strategies of most countries in the world are self-defense. Bangladesh, a state established through the 1971 War of Liberation in the desire for democracy. As an independent sovereign country, in addition to its own territorial defense and security provisions, Bangladesh has always been a clear stand in favor of peace in the regional and international arena.
The military policy of this country began mainly through our historical role as a nation in 1971. Victory in that unequal war imposed by the unilateral attack of the invading forces was not only the result of the sole role of the armed forces. Rather, in the process of gradually transforming from a helpless resistance war into a people’s war, the full participation of the freedom-mad general public became the main determinant of victory. In addition to the heroic historical contribution of the rebel officers and members of the armed forces in that war of national liberation, the spontaneous role of the general public was also of particular significance. And that unforgettable experience is practically the basic guideline of our national defense policy and security strategy. History has repeatedly proven that when a nation unites for its existence, dignity and independence, the combined power of the people becomes the most powerful and effective military strategy.
In the backdrop of 1971, the then Pakistani military was well-organized and well-equipped with modern weapons. On the contrary, the people of Bangladesh, bewildered by the sudden attack, were practically unarmed and unprepared. Despite this, a strong professional military force was miserably defeated by the indomitable will of a freedom-loving nation and the all-out resistance struggle of the masses.
In the Assam War, guerrilla warfare was waged in 11 operational sectors formed by rebel Bengali members of the military, paramilitary forces and ordinary citizens. Some fought with weapons, some with information, some with food and shelter, and some contributed to this fight by providing medical assistance.
This public involvement made the Liberation War not just a military conflict, but a war of mass resistance of a nation. In the language of modern military vocabulary, this is called ‘people-centric warfare’ or people-based warfare. In the context of Bangladesh, this concept is not merely theoretical, but a historical truth written in blood. Another essential foundation of Bangladesh’s defense and security philosophy is Bangladeshi nationalism. It gives rise to a deep sense of self-identity and responsibility among the people, which in turn encourages every citizen to be resolute. When the people of a nation deeply appreciate the value of their own history, tradition, culture and freedom, it gives rise to a strong commitment among all on the issue of territorial defense and national security. The first initiative to give this concept a well-organized and institutionalized form in independent Bangladesh was taken by the late President Ziaur Rahman. He rightly realized that as a state with a small economy and limited military resources, Bangladesh could not survive by relying solely on conventional military power. Therefore, he brought forward the concept of an “All out People’s War’ as part of defense preparations, the main philosophy of which was that the defense of the state was not only the responsibility of the armed forces, but it was the collective responsibility of the entire nation. His philosophy was based on three foundations—
1. Awareness and participation of the people;
2. A professional and efficient armed forces;
3. A self-reliant defense industry. As part of such thinking, he reorganized the Bangladesh National Cadet Corps on March 23, 1979.
On this note, the University Officer Training Corps, Bangladesh Cadet Corps and Junior Cadet Corps were merged. In addition, the program of introducing the youth to discipline, leadership, patriotism and basic military training was started through Ansar & VDP ( village defence forces) and the Scout Movement. But unfortunately, after the martyrdom of this great leader, his visionary plan related to defense and national security stumbled.
The reality is that the relevance of this concept has increased in the current global context. Geopolitical competition, economic sanctions, technological dependence, etc. deeply affect the defense system of any country. The strategic competition of the great powers in the South Asia and Indo-Pacific region is gradually intensifying. In such a situation, military-equipment dependence on other countries is undoubtedly a risky strategy for small or medium-power countries in terms of defense preparations. Because, there are countless examples of international and regional equations changing rapidly during times of war or crisis.
Many countries have already realized this fact and have redesigned their defense and security strategies accordingly. Turkey has gained significant capabilities in the production of drone technology, missile systems and armored vehicles in the last two decades. 93 percent of the components of the country’s much-discussed Bayraktar TB-2 drone are domestically produced. This is high time Bangladesh too follows a rule of developing its own Armed forces though this indigenous system of Arms production. After all, a patriotic & morally strong Armed force can only build Bangladesh according to the wishes of freedom loving people.
Note : Fhis was published on a national daily and the official Facebook page of BNP and it has been published here making some minor modifications. The principal context & ideas have come from the narrative of the Defence adviser.
