Chowdhury Fazlul Bari

Bari enrolled as a cadet of 4th BMA Long Course in 1979 in Bangladesh Military Academy. He was commissioned in 1981. Bari joined the elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in 2004 when it was founded.^[1] As a colonel he served as the director of RAB.^[2] The last post he held in RAB was additional director general at the rank of Brigadier General.^[1] In 2005 he defended Rapid Action Battalions practice of extrajudicial killing of suspects to the US embassy.^[3] He was made director of DGFI by the then BNP lead government.^[1] During military backed caretaker government headed by Fakhruddin Ahmed, he became the chief of DGFI.^[1] However, at the end of the caretaker government he was posted to Bangladesh's diplomatic mission in Washington, D.C.^[1]

Tarique Rahman, son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, accused him of leading his torture.^[4] He was recalled from his post after the elected Awami League government took power.^[1] He sought an extension but the government did not grant it and later Bangladesh Army declared him absconding without leave (AWL) officer.^[1]

In 2009 Bari declared a deserter.^[5] During the caretaker administration he tried to aid Bangladesh Freedom Party and National Democratic Alliance. The freedom party was formed by the military officers who killed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first president of Bangladesh in a coup. He married Mehnaz Rashid, the eldest daughter of Lieutenant Colonel Khandaker Abdur Rashid, one the killers of Sheikh Mujib and a leader of the Freedom Party. He divorced her in December 2008. He denied marrying her.^[6] In 2009 he applied for political asylum in the United States.^[7]

On June 2, 2025 in his interview with Banik Barta, Chowdhury Fazlul Bari stated that the 1/11 event in 2007 was orchestrated through a conspiracy involving civil society members, business elites, and foreign powers, with General Moeen Uddin Ahmed playing a central role. According to Bari, Moeen violated constitutional norms by engaging in political activities while serving as Army Chief, including pressuring political leaders and attempting to reshape the political landscape in Bangladesh. Bari highlighted divisions within the army, noting that Moeen favored a group of officers close to him while sidelining others, contributing to unrest and mistrust within the military ranks.According to Chowdhury Fazlul Bari, the role of the army chiefs over the past 16 years since the 1/11 political crisis has been politically biased and supportive of the government. He points out that although Sheikh Hasina criticized General Moeen’s appointment initially, she later worked closely with him. Subsequent army chiefs like General Mubin Khan, General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan, General Aziz Ahmed, and SM Shafiuddin Ahmed all played roles that helped implement the ruling party’s authoritarian agenda.

Specifically, Bari highlights General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan’s silent cooperation during the controversial 2014 election, accusing him of subordinating the army to political interests and enabling Sheikh Hasina’s one-sided election plans. This boosted the ruling party’s confidence, leading to voterless elections and human rights abuses in the following years. Bari questions where Bhuiyan was during the 1/11 crisis, especially since he now calls for preventing such events from happening again. ^[8]