Chairman of the National Independent Inquiry Commission Major General (retd) A L M Fazlur Rahman on Wednesday said the intelligence agencies of that time displayed extreme negligence and failed to discharge their duties during the BDR mutiny that took place on 25–26 February 2009.
He made the remarks at a press conference held at the new building of the Science Laboratory in the capital, where the National Independent Inquiry Commission outlined its findings.
Fazlur Rahman said both the then armed forces command and law enforcement agencies failed to take timely decisions and remained inactive while the crimes were being committed.
“No effective measures were taken to prevent the mutiny and the killings. Available information so far indicates gross negligence and failure on the part of the intelligence agencies,” he said.
Fazlur Rahman said political procrastination, under the guise of seeking a peaceful resolution, coupled with the inaction of the armed forces and law enforcement, allowed the atrocities to unfold.
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He also alleged that efforts were made to misdirect the investigation, stating that two previous inquiry commissions attempted to obscure the facts. “There was a deliberate effort to link the incident to militancy in order to divert the course of the investigation,” he added.
The Commission Chairman further revealed that they had received several accounts from victims and eyewitnesses suggesting possible foreign involvement in the mutiny and killings.
“These accounts are being verified and analysed. Based on the evidence gathered so far, the Commission believes that timely military intervention could have prevented the brutal killings and associated crimes,” he said.
To date, the Commission has interviewed 158 individuals, including military and civilian officials as well as political figures. Testimonies from around 50 more people are still pending, he informed.
A preliminary draft of the investigation report has already been prepared and is currently under review by the Commission’s members.
Testimonies from key witnesses are still being recorded, and the Commission has requested the cooperation of several important individuals to support further analysis.
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Besides, communications are going on with a number of foreign embassies and organisations to gather additional information, which the Commission says will require more time.
In light of these developments, the Commission has formally sought an extension of the deadline for submission of its final report, proposing a new deadline of 30 September.