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Abdullahil Amaan Azmi

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Abdullahil Amaan Al Azmi
Born (1958-12-27) 27 December 1958 (age 66)
Mia Shaheb Moidan, East Pakistan, Pakistan
Allegiance Bangladesh
Service / branch Bangladesh Army
Years of service1981-2009
RankBangladesh-army-OF-6 Brigadier General
UnitEast Bengal Regiment
Commands
AwardsSword of Honour (BMA)
Alma materGovernment Laboratory High School
Notre Dame College
Bangladesh Military Academy
RelationsGhulam Azam (Father)

Abdullahil Amaan Azmi (Bengali: আবদুল্লাহিল আমান আযমী) is a retired one star officer of Bangladesh army and Human rights and political activist. He was subjected to enforced disappearance in 2016 and was held captive in Aynaghar, a secret detention center operated by the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence.[1][2] On August 6, 2024, he was released from Aynaghar following the resignation of Sheikh Hasina.[3]

Early life and education

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Azmi was born in 1958 at the Shah Shaheb Bari lodge, a Sufi lodge in the nucleus of Old Dacca of then East Pakistan, Pakistan (now Dhaka Division, Bangladesh). He is the eldest son of Ghulam Azam, the former Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.[4] Azmi finished elementary school at Government Laboratory High School and high school from the Notre Dame College.[5] Azmi was enlisted to Bangladesh Military Academy on 1979. He was awarded the sword of honour for his enormous confidential records as the top officer's cadet of 5th BMA long course. His parent unit was 14th East Bengal Regiment.[6]

Military career

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Azmi taught at the East Bengal Regimental Centre, School of Infantry and Tactics and the Defence Services Command and Staff College. He commanded two infantry companies under the 2nd and 11th East Bengal Regiment, one infantry battalion the 18th East Bengal Regiment and one infantry brigade at Bandarban Cantonment. He was also the former station commander of Ghatail and commandant of the School of Military Intelligence at Cumilla Cantonment. On 2009, Azmi was summarily dismissed from the army by Second Hasina ministry without pension and without any explanation. He had the rank of brigadier general at the time of his dismissal.[6] On 12 November 2012, Azmi testified as a defence witness in the trial of his father, Ghulam Azam, International Crimes Tribunal-1. He was the lone defence witness at the trial.[7] Azmi's list on dismissal was withdrawn by the Yunus administration and furthermore, given a proper retirement on 26 December 2024.[8][9]

Disappearance and release

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Azmi was detained by plainclothes officers of Bangladesh Police on 24 August 2016 from his home in Moghbazar, Dhaka, Bangladesh.[10] Around the same time, two other sons of opposition leaders were detained, Hummam Quader Chowdhury, son of Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, and Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem, son of Mir Quasem Ali. Azmi's father died in 2014 while in jail after being convicted for war crimes in the Bangladesh Liberation war.[11][12] In March 2017, Hummam Quader Chowdhury was released, and he could not say who had detained him.[13]

In 2022, an investigation by the Swedish based news network Netra News revealed that Azmi was being held at Aynaghar, a secret prison run by the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence.[14]

Release

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Azmi was released from Aynaghar on 6 August 2024, the day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled Bangladesh following popular protests.[15] After being admitted into a hospital for better treatment, he said, "How long have I not seen the light and air, I have not seen the world of Allah, I have not been allowed to hear the call to prayer. The amount of tears that I have wiped on this towel, if collected, a lake could have been made."[3]

Views and activism

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Azmi is notable for his Anti-Indian stance.[16][17][18] On 23 October 2014 Ghulam Azam died at the Bangubandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Medical University. Azmi expressed dismay with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party for not speaking about the death of his father.[19] He led the Janazah prayer at the funeral of his father at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.[20] In 2015, Azmi controversially challenged the number of Indian soldiers killed in the Bangladesh Liberation war following a Facebook post by Journalist Anjan Roy. He also questioned the number of Bangladeshi citizens killed in the Bangladesh genocide. There have been claims that the unit of “lakh” was mistranslated to a million increasing the claimed deaths tenfold. This triggered criticism from Bangladesh civil society members and media.[21]

In September 2024, Azmi proposed the change of national anthem and constitution. He further proposed to assemble a national committee that will prevent passing laws contradictory to Islam.[22]He critiqued the 3 million death toll figure during the 1971 Liberation War saying a census was carried out where the death toll was 286,000.[23]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Rowlatt, Justin (13 October 2016). "Fears over Bangladesh's 'disappeared'". BBC News. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  2. ^ "How Enforced Disappearances Get Suppressed in Bangladeshi Media". The Diplomat. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Former army brigadier released after 8 years following Hasina's downfall". The Siasat Daily. 10 August 2024.
  4. ^ "Ex-Jamaat leader's son abducted in Dhaka". Arab News. 23 August 2016. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  5. ^ "Ghulam Azam's son Abdullahil Amaan Azmi triggers a new controversy". Bdnews24.com. 31 May 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Brig Gen Azmi dismissed". The Daily Star. 25 June 2009. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  7. ^ "Defended only by his son". The Daily Star. 16 July 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  8. ^ "Dismissal order of former army officer Azmi revoked". Dhaka Tribune. 27 December 2024.
  9. ^ "Army revokes Brig Gen Azmi's dismissal order, grants retirement with benefits". The Business Standard. 27 December 2024.
  10. ^ Bergman, David. "Bangladesh's many 'disappeared' often return dead – if at all". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  11. ^ "Bangladesh police accused of abducting ex-JI chief's son". Dawn. 24 August 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  12. ^ "Concern over missing sons of Bangladeshi politicians". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  13. ^ "Hummam Quader cannot remember anything about abduction". Dhaka Tribune. 3 March 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  14. ^ "Secret prisoners of Dhaka". Netra News — নেত্র নিউজ. 2022-08-14. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  15. ^ "Amaan Azmi, Arman released after 8-yr captivity". Prothom Alo. 2024-08-06. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
  16. ^ জনকণ্ঠ, দৈনিক. "বাংলাদেশিদের কখনোই ভারতের প্রতি তেমন ভালোবাসা ছিল না: আমান আজমী". দৈনিক জনকণ্ঠ || Daily Janakantha. Retrieved 2025-04-24.
  17. ^ জনকণ্ঠ, দৈনিক. "এদেশের মানুষ পাকিস্তানের গোলামী থেকে মুক্ত হয়ে ভারতের গোলাম হওয়ার জন্য যুদ্ধ করেনি: আমান আজমী". দৈনিক জনকণ্ঠ || Daily Janakantha. Retrieved 2025-04-24.
  18. ^ "ভারত বিরোধিতার কারণে আমাকে গুম করা হয়েছে: ব্রিগেডিয়ার আযমী". Jugantor.
  19. ^ "Ghulam Azam family upset with BNP". The Daily Star. 31 October 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  20. ^ "A tricky last wish that could not be fulfilled". The News International. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  21. ^ "Ghulam Azam's son Abdullahil Amaan Azmi triggers a new controversy". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  22. ^ "নতুন করে সংবিধান ও জাতীয় সংগীত রচনার দাবি আয়নাঘরফেরত আযমীর". www.kalerkantho.com (in Bengali). Retrieved 2025-04-24.
  23. ^ "৩ লাখকে ৩০ লাখ বলে ঘোষণা করেছিলেন শেখ মুজিব: ব্রিগেডিয়ার আযমী". Jugantor.
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