M A G Osmany: The untold story

M A G Osmany

I came in close contact with M A G Osmany in 1973 when I was a Deputy Commissioner (DC), Sylhet, a district to which he belonged. The constituency he represented was Balaganj-Fenchuganj. He used to come almost every week to Sylhet when he was Minister for Airways and Shipping. In course of his weekly visits, he would always go and meet his constituents and discuss with them their personal and local problems. He would not pass any judgment on the spot or give orders to the local administration to do this or that. This was in sharp contrast to other Ministers that I know. He would, however, invariably follow up by a written letter to the DC or to his other collogues in the Cabinet in appropriate cases with a request to look into the issues raised by his constituents. This was more like in British tradition. He never forgot that when he visited his constituents -- he did so as a Member of Parliament (MP) responsible to his electors. This type of approach was totally unexpected from a man of army background who are used to give orders on the spot.

The official residence of the DC was damaged in course of the liberation war and so was the old circuit house. Both of the buildings were not made of bricks. These were in the fashion of Bungalow type structure with tin roof and light cement plasters. The Public Works Department (PWD) wanted to demolish both the buildings and replace them with modern structures built with brick and mortars. I found the idea totally repulsive. The Executive Engineer, PWD expressed his helplessness to do otherwise as the plan had already been approved by the Ministry of Works. I sent my own views to the Ministry of Establishment with copies to the Ministers of the district in the hope that at least they would be supportive of maintaining the traditional structure.

I got a telephonic call from Osmany who told me that the Chief Engineer had been briefed and he would be seeing me to work out the details adding further that it had been agreed with the Minister for Works that both the buildings would retain their old forms and necessary repairs done. That is how both the building are still there.

One day in course of his visit to Balaganj he stopped by a village near the Thana Training and Development Centre (TTDC). I could see that about 30-40 village women came near to the jeep in which both of us were traveling. Osmany told me, "Do you know why I stopped? Look at these poor women whose husbands and other adult male members of their families were killed by the Pakistan army."

He started giving them whatever money he had and then asked his Assistant Private Secretary (APS) if he had more money. The APS kept mum. I then offered whatever little money I had in my wallet. At first he declined. I told him that he could pay me back later. He took the money and gave it to the poor women. Back in the circuit house, I asked the APS why didn't he carry some money from Minister's discretionary fund. That has been doled out already was the reply. He further told me that Osmany wanted to get some money from his account and the amount of the cheque exceeded the balance.

One day he asked me if I could build a pucca road out of district council resources. The road he mentioned was Tajpur-Balaganj road that branches off from the main road in the highway that connects Sylhet with Maulvibazar and on to Habiganj. Since it would involve substantial funds, I suggested to him that it would be possible to build the road if additional grants from the Ministry of Local Government were made available specifically for this project. He immediately wrote to his Cabinet colleague Shamsul Haque who held the charge of the Ministry and funds were allocated. He would not insist on any irregular expenditure but would follow the established procedures.

Osmany always kept party matters isolated from local administration. He would, however, hold meetings on local development issues where some party workers would be present. One day he was holding such a meeting at the old circuit house. The Superintendent of Police (SP) who was present whispered into my ears that there were two persons in the meeting against whom warrants had been issued for criminal acts. Osmany sensed something and he asked me what was the matter. I requested that we could perhaps talk in private. He immediately stood up and asked me to follow to the room he was occupying. I told him what I had heard from the SP. He came back and dismissed the meeting saying that he would talk to the party workers later.

One day he rang me up from Dhaka and asked me to see him in his office at the Secretariat the next day at 2.00 in the afternoon. He told me that he had certain things to discuss and as he would not be able to visit Sylhet in the same week it would be convenient if I could come to Dhaka. I told him that I could not leave station without specific permission from the Establishment Division. Another Minister would be annoyed with such a reply. Osmany, however, did not say anything but half an hour later a Deputy Secretary (DS) from Establishment Division rang me up to say that I could come to Dhaka for a meeting with Osmany.

I went to his office in the Secretariat 15 minutes before the appointed time. His Private Secretary (PS), then Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, received me in his office. He offered me tea adding that there were about 15 MPs from Sylhet inside the room of the Minister and I might have to wait longer. The clock struck 2.00. Lo and behold, Osmany opens the door himself to say "Shawkat you can come in." As he said this he looked back to the MPs and told them that they would have to break off now to allow the Minister to go on with the meeting with DC in time. Such was the courtesy and the consideration that Osmany would show to anybody irrespective of his status. Ministerial behaviour such as this is unthinkable in present times. Now the norm appears to be "lesser mortals must wait."

Osmany had deep respect for rule of law and supremacy of the civil authority. In the later part of his career as Minister some people in Sylhet suggested to him that army should be called out to deal with criminals, smugglers etc. Osmany vehemently disagreed saying that this was not the option. Once I was under heavy pressure to release a student leader on bail who was arrested for his attempt to assault the sub-divisional officer (SDO) of Sylhet Sadar. The pressure from Dhaka continued and I thought I better request for a transfer. I conveyed to Osmany about my feelings and the reply was, "No no! Don't listen to those Johnnies. Let the law take its own course."

Osmany knew that my days in Sylhet were coming to an end. One day he asked me if I would join Bangladesh Biman as Director, Administration. The next day he rang me up to say that I should be placed in charge of Airport Development Authority (ADA), which is presently the Civil Aviation Directorate, I told him that I would like to leave it to his best judgment. Later, he rang up to say that he had resigned but he had asked the Secretary, then Sultanuzzaman Khan, to first get me posted in the Ministry as DS and later, shift me to either of the above two places. I was posted in the Ministry. Osmany's resignation demonstrates his unwavering commitment to and abiding faith in multi-party framework of democratic governance. The one-party system was something he could not accept.

I continued to maintain personal contact with Osmany even after his resignation. In 1975, he used to stay in a small two-storied rented building in the Cantonment. I was told that the building belonged to a retired Group Captain. At that time I also used to live in a rented house belonging to an Engineer of the Roads and Highways Department. Osmany sometimes would give a call to join him for a cup of coffee at his house. In 1975 after Khondker Mushtaque took over, I got a telephone call from General Osmany to see him immediately. I rushed to his house. Osmany looked very grim and worried. There was an uneasy silence. I did not know what to say. He broke the silence saying that Khondker Mushtaque has requested him to be his Defence Adviser. I thought a person like Osmany could perhaps bring some order out of the chaotic conditions that prevailed then. I did not, however, suggest anything. The Military Secretary wanted Osmany's permission to send a transport in order to enable him to reach Bangabhaban. After sometime I left.

In 1976, while I was DC, Dhaka I used to visit Osmany. One day I found him in a very unhappy mood. He told me that he was unable to draw his pension because his pension as a retired General of Army was yet to be approved. He told me that he believed everything was approved after he left the office of the Chief of Army Staff. He made no secret of his feelings. As far as I recall he had to seek legal redress to get his pension.

My last meeting with Osmany was in the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) where he was undergoing treatment. He looked very pale and weak. He told me that he had almost completed his memoirs. I was very happy to learn this because it would reveal many untold stories of his life in the army as well as in politics. Unfortunately, for reasons not known to us this never saw the light of the day. People who know General Osmany miss him. I miss him more than most.

A M M Shawkat Ali, PhD is former Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture.