In March 1942, in response to a letter of complaint he had received from Aung San, Suzuki reformed the BIA into two divisions and placed Aung San in command. In July 1942 the BIA was reformed under the direction of the local Japanese Army as the Burma Defense Army (BDA). The word "independence" was removed from the force's name because, according to the Japanese, the Burmese had not yet proven themselves worthy of it. Aung San was made a colonel and put in charge of the force. Suzuki eventually lost his case for Burmese independence with the Japanese Army and was transferred out of Burma in July 1942, after the dissolution of the BIA.