Dhaka: The Dhaka High Court has restored the rank of a four-star general to a former chief of the Bangladesh Army, declaring that the government's decision to strip him of his rank was illegal.

Upholding Muhammad Mustafizur Rahman's entitlement to the general's rank, the court said the government's decision to take away the rank four years after awarding it was politically motivated and done without following any rules and regulations, The Daily Star newspaper said on Wednesday.

A bench of Justice Khairul Huq and Justice Abdul Awal said the allegation that Rahman obtained the rank by influencing the government had not been proved.

He was promoted to the post following approval of the authorities concerned, it said.

Rahman was promoted to the rank on the day he retired from service in December 2000, when the Awami League regime of Sheikh Hasina was in office.

Almost four years later, on Oct 10, 2004, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-Jamaat alliance government cancelled his promotion on the recommendation of the parliamentary standing committee on defence.

The cancellation order said the Bangladesh Army does not provide for the post of general and that the promotion was given in violation of army rules.

The Bangladesh Army was headed by a three-star general till last year, when the army-backed caretaker government now in office upgraded the ranks of all the three services chiefs and awarded promotions to several top military officers.

Source : IANS