[🇧🇩] BDR Mutiny---An Irreparable Damage to Bangladesh's First Line of Defense

[Saif]

Families want sacked BDR soldiers be reinstated

Families of former Bangladesh Rifles soldiers, dismissed and imprisoned after the 2009 BDR massacre, blocked the Shahbagh crossing on Wednesday, demanding reinstatement in the force, now renamed as the Border Guard Bangladesh...

www.newagebd.net

Families want sacked BDR soldiers be reinstated
Staff Correspondent 09 January, 2025, 00:38

Family members of former Bangladesh Riffles soldiers, dismissed and imprisoned in the aftermath of the 2009 BDR massacre, bring out a procession, demanding reinstatement, at the Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka on Wednesday. | New Age photo

Hearing in explosive case begins at Keraniganj today

Families of former Bangladesh Rifles soldiers, dismissed and imprisoned after the 2009 BDR massacre, blocked the Shahbagh crossing on Wednesday, demanding reinstatement in the force, now renamed as the Border Guard Bangladesh.

BDR Carnage Justice Establishment Unity convener Abdul Aziz at a briefing at Central Shaheed Minar Wednesday evening announced that they would stage a blockade at Shahbagh today.

They also announced that they would march towards the court if their demands, including bail and release for all BDR members in prison, were not met.

The chief prosecutor for the case filed against BDR members under the Explosive Substances Act, Md Borhan Uddin, said that the court was expected to begin hearing today at the makeshift courtroom near Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj as several hundred appeals for bail in the case remained pending with the court over the years.

The law ministry in an order on January 2 said that the hearing of the case would be held at the makeshift courtroom in Keraniganj.

Earlier, the hearing took place at the makeshift courtroom at Bakshibazar in the city near the old Dhaka Central Jail.

The protesters also issued an ultimatum for the release of BDR members in 24 hours and announced that they would continue the programme until their demands were met.

Wednesday’s blockade of the Shahbagh crossing disrupted traffic movement in the surrounding areas for hours until a delegation of protesters, including a coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, went to meet the chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus.

‘Protesters started gathering in the Shaheed Minar area in the morning for a rally. They were attempting to march towards Jamuna [the chief adviser’s residence] but police stopped them in front of the Shahbagh police station, where they took position until afternoon,’ said Shahbagh police station officer-in-charge Khalid Mansur.

The protesters, however, took position at the Central Shaheed Minar and continued their protests announcing whole-night protests.

Claiming that BDR members were systematically framed in the incident, the protesters demanded formation of an impartial investigation committee to investigate the deaths of 74 people –– 57 army officers, 10 BDR members and seven civilians –– in the 2009 Pilkhana massacre and bail for the detained BDR members.

One of the protesters, Rafiqul Islam, said that he was jailed for three years for false allegations.

He claimed that the BDR members were wrongly framed, staging a false drama just to dismantle the force.

Protesters said that the killing of the army officers deputed in the BDR in 2009 was a part of the blueprint of then prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Another protester Shahjahan said that he was an office clerk in 2009 and was asked to go to the Durbar Hall at the BDR headquarters on February 25, 2009.

‘Then, the killings happened and many of us were wrongly framed in the case,’ he said, demanding reinstatement of all BDR members dismissed after the mutiny and withdrawal of all false charges against BDR members.

Earlier on December 23, the interim government formed a seven-member commission for reinvestigating the 2009 BDR carnage amid an outcry from the victim families.

In February 25–26, 2009 BDR mutiny, 57 military officers, including then BDR chief Major General Shakil Ahmed, and 17 civilians were killed at then BDR headquarters in Dhaka city.​

 

[Saif]

BDR MUTINY: Trial deferred again as courtroom set on fire

The hearing in the explosive case filed for the February 2009 Bangladesh Rifles mutiny was on Thursday deferred till January 19 as the makeshift courtroom at Government Alia Madrassah was set on fire...

www.newagebd.net

BDR MUTINY: Trial deferred again as courtroom set on fire
M Moneruzzaman 09 January, 2025, 13:29

Investigators inspect the makeshift courtroom used for the 2009 BDR carnage trial after it is set ablaze at Bakshibazar in the capital on Thursday. | Md Saurav

No decision yet on courtroom relocation

The hearing in the explosive case filed for the February 2009 Bangladesh Rifles mutiny was on Thursday deferred till January 19 as the makeshift courtroom at Government Alia Madrassah was set on fire Wednesday night, escalating tensions over the trial.

The development came amidst protests for justice for the members of the erstwhile BDR, dismissed and detained after the 2009 BDR mutiny.

Families of the BDR members blocked Shahbagh crossing for the second consecutive day on Thursday, demanding release of the detained BDR members and reinstatement of their jobs or compensation.

The other case filed for the February 25-26 BDR mutiny that killed 74 people, including 57 army officers, is pending with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court as the government and convicts preferred appeals against the High Court verdict in the case.

The judge of the Dhaka additional metropolitan sessions judge court 1, Md Ismail Hossain deferred the proceedings in ther explosive case at 11:45am on Thursday after inspecting the fire-damaged courtroom alongwith chief public prosecutor Borhan Uddin and his team.

Borhan later told New Age that the court set January 19 for the hearing the bail petitions of over 400 detained BDR soldiers and recording deposition of prosecution witnesses in the explosive case.

The fire incident also complicated the ongoing debate on the location of the makeshift courtroom.

Defense lawyers proposed relocating the trial to a new makeshift courtroom at the abandoned Dhaka Central Jail in Nazimuddin Road or a Women’s Jail on the Keraniganj jail compound.

Borhan said the home and the law ministries would make a decision on the issue.

He said that government officials on Wednesday night issued conflicting statements on the issue.

The law ministry’s public relations officer Rezaul Karim informed journalists by WhatsApp messages that the hearing would be held at the Alia Madrassah compound although the earlier decision was to hold the proceedings at the Dhaka Central Jail at Keraniganj.

The inspector general of prisons, Brigadier General Syed Md Motaher Hossain, wrote to the home ministry on January 8, approving the relocation of the courtroom to Keraniganj jail.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge, in a December 1, 2024 letter to the law ministry, made the same recommendation.

The trial court judge, Ismail Hossain, also noted that the Alia Madrassah compound was suitable, especially after being damaged during the student-led mass uprising.

Additionally, 320 detained BDR members had already been transferred to Dhaka Central Jail for trial proceedings, as it was deemed more convenient for transporting the accused.

Despite these preparations, the government abruptly decided to keep the proceedings at the Alia Madrassah compound.

Jail officials revealed that they were informed late at night on Wednesday about the change, and no orders were issued to produce the detainees before the court.

Borhan Uddin, however, said that the production of the detained soldiers was unnecessary for the bail hearings.

More than 400 bail applications remained pending with the court in the case, which has dragged on for years amidst logistical and legal hurdles.

The high-profile trial has faced persistent challenges, including protests from families of the accused, who demand their release and exoneration from charges of murder and explosives.

The fire damaged several air coolers, electronics, furniture and corrugated iron-sheet ceiling of the makeshift courtroom.

Judge Ismail Hossain arrived at the site at 11:30 am on Thursday and left at about 12:10pm under tight security.

He entered the compound amidst protests by the madrassah students against the trial proceeding on their premises.

Security forces, accompanied by army personnel, cleared the way for the judge and prosecution team, while defense lawyers were barred from accessing the fire-damaged courtroom.

Protesters claimed that two officers from Chawkbazar police station unlocked the gate of the court compound on Wednesday night and fled before the fire incident.

Students also said that the courtroom interfered with a cultural event planned on the madrassah premises for Thursday.

They demanded the permanent relocation of the courtroom.

Firefighters from Lalbagh Fire Station were alerted at 4:22am but were blocked from accessing the compound by madrassah students.

Fire Service officer Talha Bin Jashim said that two fire units waited outside the premises for nearly seven hours as they were not permitted to intervene.

Chawkbazar police officer-in-charge Rezaul Hossain, however, said, ‘It was not a major fire, just smoke.’

He confirmed that no complaints had been filed regarding the fire and said that the police had no immediate plans to initiate legal action.

The home ministry on December 23, 2024 constituted the National Independent Investigation Commission in the wake of continuous demands from family of the army officers killed during the BDR mutiny.

Earlier on December 19, 2024, some members of the victim families filed a complaint against deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her defense adviser Tarique Ahmed Siddique, former army chief Moneen U Ahmed and 55 others for the BDR carnage.

On November 5, 2013, the trial court sentenced 568 accused, mostly BDR troops, including 152 to death, 162 to imprisonment for life term, 256 to jail for varying terms for the murders during the BDR mutiny.

On November 27, 2017, the High Court upheld the death sentences of 139 out of 152 death convicts from the trial court for killing 57 commanders on deputation from the army during the mutiny.

Death sentences of seven other BDR soldiers and Md Zakir Hossain, then a local Awami League leader, were reduced to life terms.

It also upheld the life imprisonment of 146 out of the 160 life term recipients from the trial court.

Two of them, including Bangladesh Nationalist party leader Nasir uddin Ahmed Pintu, died in custody while 12 others were acquitted.

The convicts’ appeals against the AL government’s appeals against acquittals of BDR members await Appellate Division’s hearing.

The High Court called for holding probes to find out why the BDR intelligence agency failed to gather information that a mutiny was brewing to coincide with BDR Week 2009 celebrations.

The High Court in the verdict also called the carnage a pre-planned massacre of 57 brilliant army officers, then serving BDR on deputation, by some ambitious BDR sepoys during their 30-hour mutiny.​

 

[Saif]

পিলখানাকাণ্ড নিয়ে চাঞ্চল্যকর তথ্য দিলেন ব্রিগেডিয়ার জেনারেল রোকন

 

[Saif]

Sacked members of BDR, families take to streets

Sacked Bangladesh Rifles members, students and the families of the BDR members dismissed from the force and imprisoned after the 2009 BDR massacre staged demonstrations on Sunday...

www.newagebd.net

Sacked members of BDR, families take to streets
Staff Correspondent 13 January, 2025, 01:06

New Age photo

BDR mutiny explosives case trial to resume at Keraniganj jail court

Sacked Bangladesh Rifles members, students and the families of the BDR members dismissed from the force and imprisoned after the 2009 BDR massacre staged demonstrations on Sunday in different districts of the country to press home their three-point demands, including immediate release and reinstatement of the imprisoned and sacked BDR members.

Their demands included identifying and ensuring exemplary punishment to the responsible individuals and masterminds for the killing of 74 people, including 57 army officers, in the massacre and the release of all innocent BDR members, reinstatement of all those who were unjustly dismissed from their jobs with full government benefits and the assurance of independent and impartial work of the commission formed to reinvestigate the BDR carnage.

The government announced on Sunday that the remaining trial of the explosives case tied to the 2009 Bangladesh Rifles mutiny would now take place at a makeshift court inside the Dhaka Central Jail at Keraniganj.

The law, justice, and parliamentary affairs ministry issued a gazette notification in this regard, shifting the case from the makeshift court at Government Alia Madrassah, designated for the trial by the Awami League government on December 28, 2010.

The relocation comes after a fire damaged the makeshift courtroom at Government Alia Madrassah on the night of January 9.

Dhaka additional metropolitan sessions judge Md Ibrahim Mia accompanied by chief public prosecutor Borhan Uddin and his team inspected the site before deferring proceedings to January 19.

On Sunday, Dhaka district unit of the BDR Welfare Council organised a human chain at the Anti-Terrorism Raju Memorial Sculpture on the Dhaka University campus to press home the three-point demands.

Addressing the demonstration, Mahin Sarker, a coordinator of the Students Against Discrimination, said that justice must be delivered to the victims in the massacre.

‘It is unfortunate that people have to take to the streets to demand justice from the interim government that was formed following a student-led mass uprising,’ he said.

Criticising and questioning the function of the reinvestigation commission, Mahin said that the commission was instructed to consider the convicted individuals as guilty.​

 

[Saif]

BDR carnage trial to be held at Dhaka Central Jail, not Alia Madrasa ground: Ministry

The trial for the BDR massacre case will take place in a temporary court at Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj instead of the previously planned location at the Dhaka Alia Madrasa ground. The Ministry of Law issued a notification in this regard on Sunday (Jan 12). The notification says, “The

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

BDR carnage trial to be held at Dhaka Central Jail, not Alia Madrasa ground: Ministry
UNB
Published :
Jan 12, 2025 21:02
Updated :
Jan 12, 2025 21:02

The trial for the BDR massacre case will take place in a temporary court at Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj instead of the previously planned location at the Dhaka Alia Madrasa ground.

The Ministry of Law issued a notification in this regard on Sunday (Jan 12).

The notification says, “The BDR carnage case will be heard in the temporary court at Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj, rather than the temporary court set up in the field next to the government Alia Madrasa and Dhaka Central Jail in the Bakshi Bazar area of Dhaka.”

The decision follows protests on January 9 by students who opposed the establishment of a temporary court at the Alia Madrasa ground in Old Dhaka’s Bakshi Bazar.

Human chain at DU demands release of innocent BDR members

During the protests, the courtroom set up in the madrasa compound was also set on fire.

The students said that the ground had long been used by the City Corporation and claimed it would remain under their control after the July Uprising.

In December 2023, the then-mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, faced significant criticism for inaugurating the Alia Madrasa ground as the ‘Bakshi Bazar Central Playground’ following its renovation.

This move had sparked protests and sit-ins from students, who accused the City Corporation of occupying the ground.

On February 25 and 26, 2009, 74 people, including 57 army officers, were killed in a mutiny at the Border Guard Headquarters in Pilkhana.​

 

[Saif]

বিডিআর হত্যাকাণ্ড পুনঃতদন্তে কমিশনকে পূর্ণ সহযোগিতার আশ্বাস সেনাপ্রধানের

কমিশন তাদের তদন্ত কার্যক্রম পরিচালনার জন্য বাংলাদেশ সেনাবাহিনীর সহযোগিতা চায়।

bangla.thedailystar.net

বিডিআর হত্যাকাণ্ড পুনঃতদন্তে কমিশনকে পূর্ণ সহযোগিতার আশ্বাস সেনাপ্রধানের

সেনাপ্রধানের সঙ্গে বিডিআর হত্যাকাণ্ড পুনঃতদন্তে গঠিত তদন্ত কমিশনের সদস্যরা। ছবি: আইএসপিআর

পিলখানায় বিডিআর হত্যাকাণ্ড পুনঃতদন্তে গঠিত জাতীয় স্বাধীন তদন্ত কমিশনের সভাপতি মেজর জেনারেল (অব.) আ ল ম ফজলুর রহমানের নেতৃত্বে কমিশনের সদস্যরা সেনাবাহিনী প্রধানের সঙ্গে সৌজন্য সাক্ষাৎ করেছেন।

আজ সোমবার সাক্ষাৎকালে তারা বিভিন্ন গুরুত্বপূর্ণ বিষয়ে আলোচনা করেন।

কমিশন তাদের তদন্ত কার্যক্রম পরিচালনার জন্য বাংলাদেশ সেনাবাহিনীর সহযোগিতা চায়। সেনাপ্রধান তদন্ত কার্যক্রম পরিচালনায় সেনাবাহিনীর পক্ষ থেকে সব ধরনের সহযোগিতার আশ্বাস দেন।

সাক্ষাৎকালে তদন্ত কমিশনের সদস্য মেজর জেনারেল (অব.) মো. জাহাঙ্গীর কবির তালুকদার, ব্রিগেডিয়ার জেনারেল (অব.) মো. সাইদুর রহমান বীর প্রতীক, মুন্সী আলাউদ্দিন আল আজাদ, ড. এম. আকবর আলী, ঢাকা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের সহযোগী অধ্যাপক মো. শরীফুল ইসলাম ও জগন্নাথ বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের সহকারী অধ্যাপক মো. শাহনেওয়াজ খান চন্দন উপস্থিত ছিলেন।​

 

[Saif]

AL orchestrated BDR massacre

The ousted Awami League government orchestrated the BDR massacre to weaken Bangladesh’s paramilitary force for political gain, said renowned photographer Shahidul Alam yesterday.

www.thedailystar.net

AL orchestrated BDR massacre
Says Shahidul Alam

Photo: Courtesy/UNB

The ousted Awami League government orchestrated the BDR massacre to weaken Bangladesh's paramilitary force for political gain, said renowned photographer Shahidul Alam yesterday.

Speaking at a press conference at the National Press Club, he claimed the incident was staged to harm the country and benefit neighbouring interests.

"The government sacrificed innocent members of the BDR for its own political gain," he said.

The event, organised by families of imprisoned BDR personnel alongside the BDR Welfare Council, called for the cancellation of Section (e) of the Re-Investigation Commission's notification in the Pilkhana Murder Case, a fair investigation, and the reinstatement of dismissed BDR members.

"These individuals have suffered years of wrongful imprisonment, with evidence suppressed and misinformation spread," Alam said, demanding a credible investigation. "We must ensure justice for those who have been unjustly punished."

Critics argue that Section (e), which allows new suspects to be added while retaining existing charges, enables further injustice. Families allege it has led to wrongful imprisonment and torture of innocent BDR members.

Shahidul accused former Dhaka South Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh and the then Home Minister of complicity in the killings.​

 

[Saif]

Court grants bail to over 200 former BDR soldiers detained in explosives case

A Dhaka court on Sunday granted bail to at least 200 former Bangladesh Rifles soldiers in an explosive case filed over the BDR mutiny. All these soldiers have already been acquitted by both the trial court and...

www.newagebd.net

Court grants bail to over 200 former BDR soldiers detained in explosives case
M Moneruzzaman 19 January, 2025, 17:20

File photo

Explosive case trial resumes after 12 years

A Dhaka court on Sunday granted bail to at least 200 former Bangladesh Rifles soldiers in an explosive case filed over the BDR mutiny. All these soldiers have already been acquitted by both the trial court and the High Court in a murder case related to the rebellion staged at its headquarters Pilkhana in 2009.

Solders taking part in the 30-hour-long mutiny in February 25–26, 2009, killed 74 people, among them 57 army officers, who were deputed to the then Bangladesh Rifles.

While the murder case remains pending before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, many of the acquitted soldiers were held in custody as they were also accused in a separate explosive case tied to the BDR carnage.

Dhaka Metropolitan Special Tribunal Judge Md Ibrahim Mia granted bail after hearing petitions filed on behalf of 426 detained soldiers.

The court recorded the deposition of retired major Syed Md Yusuf as a prosecution witness as it resumed the explosive case trial which was stalled for 12 years.

The next hearing is scheduled for February 10.

The court has so far recorded testimonies of 284 out of 1,264 witnesses under the Explosive Substances Act.

The trial was stalled since the disposal of the murder case in 2013.

The bail orders were issued on Sunday in the makeshift courtroom at Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj amid ongoing protests from the families of the detained soldiers, demanding their release.

Deputy inspector general of prisons for Dhaka division Jahangir Kabir told New Age that 756 former BDR soldiers were held in custody in four jails in connection with the two cases filed over the rebellion and of them 200 were granted bail on Sunday.

On the day, 106 accused were produced in the court. Of them, 50 were already acquitted in the BDR mutiny murder case in both trial court and High Court, six were on death row and the rest 50 were serving various sentences in the murder case.

Chief public prosecutor Borhan Uddin said that the court for granting bail gave priority to those soldiers who got acquittal in the murder case but were detained in the explosive case.

He added that the court was likely to issue release orders after two days as it received a list of soldiers meeting the criteria.

He said that the BDR members’ lawyers failed to mention the exact number of the accused who applied for bail and also the exact information on the number of personnel acquitted from both the lower court and High Court.

The trial court’s decision came as a first step towards addressing the longstanding legal limbo affecting hundreds of soldiers detained under overlapping charges.

Defence lawyer Aminul Islam estimated that 250 soldiers might qualify under the bail order, while Borhan put the number at over 200.

On November 5, 2013, the trial court sentenced 568 soldiers in the murder case. Of them, 152 were awarded death penalty, 162 were handed life imprisonment, and 256 were sentenced to varying jail terms. Of the total 850 accused in the case, 278, mostly former BDR personnel, were acquitted.

In a two-day judgment delivered on November 26–27, 2017, the High Court upheld the death sentences of 139 soldiers and handed life imprisonment to 185 others.

Additionally, it upheld varying jail terms for 200 convicts, while acquitting 45 accused of all charges.

Lawyer Aminul Islam said that the trial court had initially acquitted 277 soldiers. But after the then Awami League government appealed against the acquittal of 69 individuals, the High Court handed life imprisonment to 20 of them.

In December 2020, the then Awami League government filed 20 appeals in the Appellate Division, challenging the High Court verdict. One of the appeals challenged the High Court’s acquittal of 16 soldiers.

The lower court sentenced 12 of the 16 soldiers to life imprisonment and handed death penalty to the rest four.

The appeals now remain pending in the Appellate Division.

Aminul Islam noted that the recent 426 bail applications included soldiers who had completed serving the sentences handed down by the High Court, but remained in custody in the explosive case.

He argued that many of these soldiers were already acquitted in the murder case and were likely to receive similar verdict in the explosive case.

He further contended that the soldiers were in custody for 16 years which constituted a strong basis for granting bail.

Chief prosecutor Borhan Uddin opposed the bail petitions, arguing that there remained a possibility of convictions in the explosive case.

He maintained that granting bail could undermine the ongoing legal process.​

 

[Saif]

2009 BDR carnage: 178 personnel set to be released

A total of 178 BDR personnel can walk out of prison on bail in a case filed under the Explosive Substances Act in connection with the 2009 BDR mutiny

www.thedailystar.net

2009 BDR carnage: 178 personnel set to be released

File photo

A total of 178 BDR personnel can walk out of prison on bail in a case filed under the Explosive Substances Act in connection with the 2009 BDR mutiny.

Judge Md Ibrahim Mia of the Dhaka Metropolitan Special Tribunal-2 on Sunday granted them bail after holding a hearing on their bail petitions at a makeshift court inside the Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj, Shahadat Hossain, bench assistant of the court, told The Daily Star.

"The court accepted their bail pleas as they have been acquitted by higher courts in the BDR carnage case and have no pending appeals against those acquittals," he said.

"There is no legal bar to their release unless there is an arrest warrant in any other case," added the court staffer.

Earlier, some 400 accused filed bail petitions with the court.

The BDR carnage on February 25-26, 2009 resulted in the massacre of 74 people, including 57 army officials, at the BDR headquarters in Pilkhana.

On November 5, 2013, a Dhaka court handed death sentences to 150 BDR members and two civilians, and life imprisonment to 160 others for their role and involvement in the carnage.

A total of 256 people, mostly BDR soldiers, were given jail sentences.

The court acquitted 278 others, but the prosecution later appealed against the acquittal of 69.

In January 2015, the HC started hearing the appeals of the convicts and pronounced its verdict on November 27, 2017, confirming the death penalty of 139.

It commuted the death penalty of eight convicts to life imprisonment and acquitted five others who were sentenced to death by the trial court.

The HC upheld life imprisonment of 146 and acquitted 14.​

 

[Saif]

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/168-bdr-soldiers-set-to-walk-free-todays

168 BDR soldiers set to walk free today after 16 years in prison
FE ONLINE DESK
Published :
Jan 23, 2025 11:51
Updated :
Jan 23, 2025 12:08

168 BDR soldiers are set to be released on Thursday after serving sixteen years in prison following the Pilkhana massacre.

According to prison sources, these prisoners will be freed from four different prisons, as per local media reports.

A total of 41 BDR detainees will be released from Dhaka Central Jail, 26 prisoners from Kashimpur-1, 89 from Kashimpur-2, and 12 from Kashimpur High-Security Jail.​

 

[Saif]

BDR families reunite after 16 years

A total of 178 former members of the then Bangladesh Rifles were released from different jails on Thursday, four days after they were granted bail in an explosive case linked to the 2009 BDR mutiny.

www.newagebd.net

BDR families reunite after 16 years
M Moneruzzaman 23 January, 2025, 15:21

Family members embrace a former member of Bangladesh Rifles, renamed as Border Guard Bangladesh, after garlanding him with flowers after his release on bail from the Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj after 16 years on Thursday. | New Age photo

178 ex-BDR soldiers released on bail

A total of 178 former members of the then Bangladesh Rifles were released from different jails on Thursday, four days after they were granted bail in an explosive case linked to the 2009 BDR mutiny.

The jail authorities freed the BDR members in the case in the morning as their release orders reached the Dhaka Central Jail and three jails in Kashimpur.

As the released former members of BDR came out of the jails, emotional scenes occurred at the jail gates as they embraced their family members waiting there with flowers and garlands to welcome them and reunite after 16 years.

Tears of joy, heartfelt embraces, and a flood of memories marked the end of an agonizing chapter for them, who were finally able to hold their fathers, husbands, and brothers.

Of the released ones, 43 were freed from Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj, 27 from Kashimpur Central Jail-1, 95 from Kashimpur Central Jail-2, and 13 from Kashimpur High-Security Central Jail, said Jahangir Kabir, deputy inspector general of prisons for Dhaka division.

Currently, 579 former BDR soldiers remain in four jails in connection with the cases related to the mutiny, he said.

Despite being acquitted by both the trial court and the High Court in a murder case related to the mutiny, many of these soldiers had remained in custody in a separate mutiny-related explosive case.

The mutiny in February 25–26, 2009, lasted 30 hours and resulted in the deaths of 74 people, including 57 army officers posted to the then Bangladesh Rifles.

On January 19, Dhaka Metropolitan Special Tribunal judge Md Ibrahim Mia granted bail to 178 ex-BDR soldiers out of 426 who sought bail in the explosive case.

The bail orders were issued on the day amid protests from the families of the detained soldiers in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country, demanding their release.

The trial had been stalled for 12 years and resumed recently, with retired Major Syed Md Yusuf testifying as a prosecution witness.

The next hearing in the explosive case is scheduled for February 10. The murder case remains pending before the Appellate Division.

The court has so far recorded testimonies of 284 out of 1,264 witnesses under the Explosive Substances Act.

The trial was stalled since the disposal of the murder case in 2013.

Chief public prosecutor Borhan Uddin told New Age that the trial court, for granting bail, gave priority to those soldiers who got acquittal in the murder case but were detained in the explosive case.

Maliha, a young woman from Thakurgaon, had been waiting anxiously with a bouquet of roses at the gate of the Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj Thursday morning. As soon as her father walked past the jail gate, she broke into tears, ran to his father, and clutched him.

For Maliha, this was the first time she could hug her father.

Born just three months before the 2009 BDR mutiny, Maliha had never experienced her father’s affection. ‘I’ve waited my whole life for this moment,’ she said in an emotion-choked voice.

Mostafizur Rahman, one of the released soldiers who talked to reporters outside the Dhaka Central Jail gate, said ‘We were detained for political reasons, despite being innocent.’

His voice carried a mix of relief and bitterness.

‘We always believed that our freedom would come with a change in government. Today, we are free as the Awami League regime was ousted on August 5, 2024, amid the student-led mass uprising. We are grateful to all those who stood by us.’

For Rehena Begum, the day was a day of long-awaited reunion. Standing with her children near the jail gate since morning, she could hardly contain her joy. ‘For 16 years, we lived with the pain of separation. My husband was imprisoned unfairly. Finally, he is coming back to us,’ said Rehena.

Her children, who clung to her, were eagerly waiting to see their father for the first time in years.

Sirajul Islam, who traveled from Gaibandha, was there to welcome his brother.

His face reflected both happiness and a lingering sadness. ‘The years my brother lost can never be returned,’ he said.

‘He was detained unfairly. He is a victim of the Awami League’s repression against BDR soldiers. But, today, we are celebrating his freedom,’ Sirajul said.

The release of the former BDR members happened five and a half months after the fall of the Awami League regime on August 5, 2024.

The families of the former DBR members believe that this political shift was pivotal in ending years of suffering for their loved ones.

On November 5, 2013, the trial court sentenced 568 soldiers in the murder case. Of them, 152 were awarded death penalty, 162 were handed life imprisonment, and 256 were sentenced to varying jail terms. Of the total 850 accused in the case, 278, mostly former BDR personnel, were acquitted.

In a two-day judgment delivered in November 26–27, 2017, the High Court upheld the death sentences of 139 soldiers and handed life imprisonment to 185 others.

Additionally, it upheld varying jail terms for 200 convicts, while acquitting 45 accused of all charges.

Defence lawyer Aminul Islam told New Age that the trial court had initially acquitted 277 soldiers. But after the then Awami League government appealed against the acquittal of 69 individuals, the High Court handed life imprisonment to 20 of them.

In December 2020, the then Awami League government filed 20 appeals with the Appellate Division, challenging the High Court verdict. One of the appeals challenged the High Court’s acquittal of 16 soldiers.

The lower court sentenced 12 of the 16 soldiers to life imprisonment and handed death penalty to the rest four.

The appeals now remain pending in the Appellate Division.

Aminul Islam noted that the recent 426 bail applications included soldiers who had completed serving the sentences handed down by the High Court, but remained in custody in the explosive case.​

 

[Saif]

BDR massacre: Chief of inquiry commission to get status of SC judge

The commission's members will be entitled to the status of High Court Division judges, and enjoy similar salary and benefits

www.thedailystar.net

BDR massacre: Chief of inquiry commission to get status of SC judge

The chief of the National Independent Commission of Inquiry tasked with reinvestigating the 2009 BDR massacre will be granted the status of an Appellate Division judge of the Supreme Court.

The commission's members will be entitled to the status of High Court Division judges, and enjoy similar salary and benefits.

The government issued an official gazette notification on January 26 in this regard, signed by Cabinet Secretary Sheikh Abdur Rashid, following directives from the president.

This notification is effective immediately.

Earlier, on December 24, 2024, the government in a gazette notification established the seven-member commission to reinvestigate the BDR massacre and examine the crimes committed before, during, and after the tragic incidents of February 25 and 26, 2009.

The commission will also seek to identify the individuals and entities, both domestic and international, implicated in the incident.

Former BGB director general Maj Gen (retd) ALM Fazlur Rahman will lead the commission, with retired Maj Gen Jahangir Kabir Talukder and retired Brig Gen Md Saidur Rahman serving as members.

Other members include former joint secretary Munshi Alauddin Al Azad, former DIG M Akbar Ali, Associate Professor of Dhaka University Shariful Islam, and Assistant Professor of Jagannath University Shahnawaz Khan Chandan.​

 

[Saif]

Sacked BDR members suspend protests

The members of erstwhile Bangladesh Rifles, who were dismissed and imprisoned after the 2009 BDR massacre, and their families on Wednesday suspended their protests demanding reinstatement of their jobs and the release of the detained BDR members...

www.newagebd.net

Sacked BDR members suspend protests
Staff Correspondent 13 February, 2025, 00:14

Police put barricades on the road to halt a march of sacked Bangladesh Rifles members towards secretariat, demanding their reinstatement, near Shikkha Bhaban in Dhaka on Wednesday. | Md Saurav

The members of erstwhile Bangladesh Rifles, who were dismissed and imprisoned after the 2009 BDR massacre, and their families on Wednesday suspended their protests demanding reinstatement of their jobs and the release of the detained BDR members.

They suspended their protests Wednesday evening as they were assured that a meeting between the home adviser and a team of their representatives would be held on February 17.

Before the suspension, several hundred BDR members and their families from different areas across the country kept the Abdul Goni Road in front of Khadya Bhaban near the Secretariat blocked from 1:00pm to 6:00pm to press home their eight-point demand that also includes compensation for all the ‘victim BDR members’.

Police used water cannons to disperse the crowd but they broke through the barricade at the Shikkha Bhaban and took position there halting vehicular movement on the road.

Student Against Discrimination executive committee member Md Mahin Sarkar and the representatives of the protesters held a meeting with home ministry officials in the afternoon.

Mahin later told the protesters that the ministry was positive regarding the demands and a meeting would be arranged with the home adviser on February 17.

Moniruzzaman, one of the representatives of the protesters, told New Age that they decided to withdraw all the protest programmes, including the sit-in at the Central Shaheed Minar till February 17 meeting.

The protesters had been continuing a sit-in at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka since Tuesday to press home their demands.​