Dhaka, Aug. 26 -- In October 2002, Begum Khaleda Zia, the then Prime Minister of Bangladesh ordered a countrywide indefinite joint operation against terrorism consisting of 40,000 police, paramilitary and military forces. Many Bangladeshi wanted such an operation, as the country was facing increasing law and order problems. The government was left with no alternative but to call in the Army to aid civil administration. The main objective of the operation was to control the escalating crime rate and recover illegal arms, which had proliferated to an alarming extent in the society. The operation was kept confidential to prevent the existing politicians-criminal nexus from derailing the original objectives of the exercise. The joint operation ...