Sheikh Mamun Khaled
Sheikh Mamun Khaled | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Mamun in 2018 | |
| Born | 21 January 1962 |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  Bangladesh |
Branch | |
Service years | 1981–2020 |
Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Unit | Corps of Signals |
| Commands |
|
Conflicts | |
| Awards | Independence Day Award[when?][citation needed] Sena Utkorsho Padak(SUP) Oshamanno Sheba Padak (OSP) |
Sheikh Mamun Khaled OSP, SUP is a retired lieutenant general of the Bangladesh Army and former commandant of National Defence College.[4][5][6]
Career
[edit]Mamun Khaled was a signal corps officer of Bangladesh Army from the 5th BMA long course. He served as the director of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) from December 2007 to December 2010 and as the director general of the same organization from 23 June 2011, to 7 March 2013.[7][8]
He was then made the vice-chancellor of the army-run Bangladesh University of Professionals.[2] He was the first person to complete PhD in Bangladesh University of Professionals and earned the Chancellor Gold Medal.[3][9]
Khaled served in a number of different positions in Bangladesh Army. He was an instructor at Military Intelligence School, Army Headquarters, colonel staff of an Infantry Division, commandant of the School of Military Intelligence, area commander logistic area. Prior to assuming as the commandant, National Defence College of Bangladesh, he was also commandant of Bangladesh Ordnance Factories.[10]
The general also served in the UN Protection Force (UNPROFOR) in Bosnia and UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL).
Role During the Pilkhana Massacre
[edit]The Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) mutiny in February 2009 resulted in significant loss of life, including 57 army officers. At that time, Khaled in the rank of Lieutenant General, was serving in the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI). In a 2024 interview, he discussed the events surrounding the mutiny, indicating that despite being on the ground during the crisis, decisive action was delayed, leading to increased casualties. He suggested that prompt military intervention could have mitigated the damage.[11]
In March 2026, Khaled was detained by the Detective Branch of Bangladesh Police in a murder case filed over the death of a protester against Sheikh Hasina in July 2024.[12] Around the same time, two other former officers of DGFI were detained, Lieutenant General Masud Uddin Chowdhury and Lieutenant Colonel Md. Afzal Naser.[13]
Following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina administration in August 2024, the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances was established on 27 August 2024 to investigate state-sponsored abductions and secret detention centers also known as Aynaghar.[14] In its findings, the commission named Sheikh Mamun Khaled among former military officials implicated in enforced disappearances, citing his tenure as the Director General of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence from 23 June 2011 to 7 March 2013.[15]
On 18 November 2024, acting on recommendations from the inquiry commission, the Security Services Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs instructed the Department of Immigration & Passports to cancel his passport to prevent travel abroad during ongoing investigations.[16]
Arrest
[edit]On 25 March 2026, Sheikh Mamun Khaled was arrested by the Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police from his residence in Mirpur DOHS, Dhaka.[17] He was placed under remand in connection with multiple cases stemming from his tenures in the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, notably as the head of Counter Intelligence Bureau from 2007 to 2008 and director general from 2011 to 2013.[18]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Commandant". ndc.gov.bd.
- 1 2 "Govt names new DGFI chief". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
- 1 2 "BUP VC Khaled earns Chancellor Gold Medal". Dhaka Tribune. 24 January 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
- ↑ "BUP VC General Ataul Hakim Sarwar Hasan appointed commandant of National Defence College". m.bdnews24.com. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
- ↑ "Lt Gen Ataul Hakim begins working as NDC commandant". The Business Standard. 2 December 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
- ↑ "Lt Gen Ataul new commandant of NDC - City News - observerbd.com". The Daily Observer. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
- ↑ "Former DGFI chief Sheikh Mamun Khaled detained by DB | The Daily Star". www.thedailystar.net. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
- ↑ "Former DGFI chief Sheikh Mamun Khaled arrested". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
- ↑ "Maj Gen Sheikh Mamun new DGFI chief". The Daily Star. 21 June 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
- ↑ "Commandant". ndc.gov.bd.
- ↑ Mahjabin, Anika. "Sheikh Hasina couldn't stay 15yrs in power if ex-army chiefs shown some courage—Lt Gen (retd) Mamun Khaled". Bonik Barta. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
- ↑ "Ex-DGFI chief Mamun Khaled placed on five-day remand in murder case | Law and Court". BSS. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
- ↑ "Former DGFI Director Afzal Naser Arrest | Former DGFI director Afzal Naser detained | The Daily Star". www.thedailystar.net. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
- ↑ "Interim govt forms commission to inquire into enforced disappearances". Jago News 24. 27 August 2024.
- ↑ "২৪ সেনা কর্মকর্তার পাসপোর্ট বাতিলের নির্দেশ" [Instructions to cancel passports of 24 army officers]. Business Bangladesh (in Bengali).
- ↑ "Govt order to cancel passports of 22 officers". Manab Zamin. 19 November 2024.
- ↑ "Former DGFI chief Sheikh Mamun Khaled arrested". Dhaka Tribune. 26 March 2026.
- ↑ "Ex-DGFI chief Mamun Khaled sent to jail after remand in murder case". Dhaka Tribune. 13 April 2026.