Nearly 19 years ago, amid a mix of domestic and international pressures and political instability, a caretaker government led by Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed was formed in Bangladesh on January 11, 2007.
This military-backed administration came to be known as the “One-Eleven” or “1/11 government.”
During its nearly two-year tenure, allegations emerged that, under the guise of political reform, efforts were made to sideline the top leadership of the country’s two major political parties—the Awami League and the BNP—from politics.
The move to exclude Awami League President Sheikh Hasina and late BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia from the political equation became widely known as the “Minus Two Formula.”
For years, there have been allegations that several top military officials and influential members of civil society were involved in this process.
Arrests and fresh probe
The issue has resurfaced following the arrest of Lieutenant General (retd) Masud Uddin Chowdhury. He was detained late on March 23 by the Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) from his residence in Baridhara DOHS in the capital. On March 24, he was placed on a five-day remand by court order for questioning.
On March 25, based on information obtained during his interrogation, retired Lieutenant General Mamun Khaled was arrested. Detective sources say several others are also on the arrest list, although most are currently abroad, and some have died.
Masud Uddin Chowdhury, widely regarded as one of the key figures behind 1/11, was again taken on a six-day remand on Sunday (March 29) for a second round of questioning in a fraud case. During the first round of interrogation, he reportedly disclosed several more names to investigators.
So far, police have identified 11 cases against him in Dhaka and Feni. They also said that any allegations from victims of the 1/11 period would be investigated.
More names emerge
During his initial interrogation in DB custody, Masud Uddin Chowdhury maintained his innocence. However, he later named several individuals, including former army chief Moeen U Ahmed and three influential DGFI officials of the time—Major General (retd) ATM Amin, Brigadier General (retd) Chowdhury Fazlul Bari, and Lieutenant Colonel (retd) Saiful Islam Joarder—as being responsible for the alleged conspiratorial activities of 1/11.
According to him, they worked to implement the Minus Two Formula and to form a “King’s Party,” with ATM Amin as the main architect.
Key roles during 1/11
However, from the very beginning of 1/11, General Masud Uddin Chowdhury’s overwhelming influence had drawn widespread attention. At the time, he served as the chief coordinator of the “National Coordination Committee on Combating Serious Crimes,” which had been established to bring major corruption individuals to justice.
Masud Uddin Chowdhury’s brother-in-law was Major (Retd) Sayeed Iskander, the younger brother of Begum Khaleda Zia. He, too, has been accused of playing a behind-the-scenes role during 1/11.
After retiring, former army chief Moeen U Ahmed wrote in his memoir “Shantir Shopne: Somoyer Smritecharon” that the chiefs of the three armed forces, the Principal Staff Officer (PSO) of the Armed Forces Division, and Brigadier General Chowdhury Fazlul Bari of DGFI had met with ex-president Iajuddin Ahmed. The PSO at the time was Lieutenant General (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, who recently served as home affairs adviser in the interim government.
In an interview with author Mohiuddin Ahmed, Moeen U denied the existence of the Minus Two Formula, saying the term was coined by the media.
At the time, the navy chief was vice admiral Sarwar Jahan Nizam, who had assumed office on January 10, 2007, just a day before 1/11. The air force chief was air vice marshal Fakhrul Azam.
In his book, Moeen U Ahmed also recounted the tense moments before heading to Bangabhaban, referring to then Chief of General Staff (CGS) Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan:
“This was my final journey as army chief—or perhaps even my last journey in life. Before departing for Bangabhaban, I called CGS Major General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan and briefed him on the latest situation. If I did not return, he would have to initially handle the situation as CGS. I told him, ‘If the president does not agree to our proposal, be prepared to see me in civilian clothes.’
“As I was about to leave, my personal staff officer, Colonel Firoz Hasan, concerned about my security, requested that I take an escort. I reassured him, saying life and death are in Allah’s hands. After instructing him to remain alert, I departed from Army Headquarters for Bangabhaban at 1400 hours (2pm), accompanied only by my ADC, Captain Mahmud.”
Allegations against Mamun Khaled
During the 1/11 period, Mamun Khaled served as director of the agency’s Counter-Intelligence Bureau. Even after the Awami League came to power, he remained in that position before later being appointed director general of DGFI. He served as DG from 2011 to 2013.
Regarding him, former army officer and later journalist Abu Rushd ARM Shahidul Islam wrote on his verified Facebook page that during 1/11, Mamun Khaled had ordered him to be “disappeared” over a report on the interrogation of Awami League leaders Abdul Jalil, Obaidul Quader, and Sheikh Selim. The matter was later resolved following the intervention of the then Home Affairs Adviser, Major General (Retd) Abdul Matin.
There are also allegations that Mamun Khaled played an active role in the torture of current Prime Minister Tarique Rahman while he was in intelligence custody. During a remand hearing in court the day after his arrest, Mamun Khaled stated:
“In 2007, I joined the Forces Intelligence Security Bureau (FSIB), which is primarily responsible for communications. After working there until July, I assumed the responsibility. At that time, in every case where the current Prime Minister, Tarique Rahman, was granted bail, I directly called the judges. Clearance was given from our side.”
Probe ongoing
When asked about the interrogation of these two army officers—both accused of involvement in various controversial activities during 1/11—Joint Commissioner of DB, Nasirul Islam, told Dhaka Tribune: “They are being interrogated regarding the cases in which they have been shown arrested. Efforts are underway to determine how much money Masud Uddin Chowdhury embezzled through human trafficking via his organisation. Beyond that, there has not yet been sufficient progress to comment on other matters.”