Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday said the 2009 Pilkhana massacre, in which 57 army officers were killed, was a sinister attempt to undermine Bangladesh’s sovereignty.
“The Army is a symbol of our sovereignty. I believe the tragic incident at Pilkhana was an evil attempt to foil our sovereignty,” he said while addressing a views-exchange meeting with the family members of the 57 army officers killed in the BDR carnage.
The programme was held at the Army Multipurpose Hall in Dhaka Cantonment, marking Jatiya Shaheed Sena Dibas (National Martyred Army Day).
PM Tarique Rahman chairs meeting on airport’s third terminal
Tarique said the Bangladesh Army has a glorious history in the War of Independence and in nation-building in the post-independence period.
Referring to the Pilkhana incident, the Prime Minister said weaknesses in the country’s national security structure were exposed through it.
“So, in line with the changing global context, our national security framework needs to be made more modern, time-befitting and stronger. Our government will certainly work towards this goal,” he said.
At the same time, the Prime Minister reaffirmed his government’s commitment to establishing long-term protection measures to ensure the education, healthcare and rehabilitation of the children of martyred families of the army.
He prayed to Almighty Allah that He would grant peace to the souls of the martyrs, give patience and strength to their families, and guide the state and its institutions on the path of justice, discipline, and responsibility.
PM Tarique paid deep tribute to the 74 brave martyrs, including 57 patriotic army officers, who embraced martyrdom in the brutal killings that took place at Pilkhana on February 25 and 26, 2009.
Third day at Secretariat, PM Tarique Rahman focuses on discipline
He prayed for the eternal peace of the departed souls and strength and patience for their bereaved families, especially during the holy month of Ramadan.
The Prime Minister said February 25 is a blood-stained and sorrowful day in the nation’s history.
“When this day returns, nature seems to fall silent again under the weight of memory and grief, and the cries of those horrific moments seem to drift through the air. Our hearts become heavy with deep sorrow. The brutal events of February 25 and 26, 2009 created a deep wound in our national life, the pain of which continues to flow even after the passage of time,” he said.
Seventeen years after the incident, the Prime Minister said his voice became heavy as he stood before the family members of victims of the Pilkhana tragedy with the memories of the martyrs.
“I have appeared before you not only as a public representative, but as a member of a military family, like the child of a fellow soldier. In that horrific incident of 2009, a total of 74 lives were lost, including 57 talented and patriotic army officers. Each name is the story of a family’s light being extinguished, a painful chapter of losing a loved one, the history of a child becoming fatherless, an unfinished epic of a dream,” he said.
Tarique mentioned that soon after returning to the country, he visited the Banani Military Graveyard. “Standing beside the graves of the martyred army officers, I realised the depth of your unbearable struggle over the past 17 years — your immense sacrifice and the painful suffering of going from door to door in search of justice, yet not getting it.”
He expressed his belief that commemorating the Pilkhana tragedy with state dignity is a national responsibility. “If the incidents of 25 and 26 February are not given state recognition in our history, future generations will not forgive us.”
In consultation with the Army and the families, the Prime Minister said his government will work to preserve the memory of February 25 and 26 with due honour.
Tarique said the elected government, formed through the people’s mandate after a long struggle, is committed to strengthening the country’s border force.
“We will modernise and further consolidate the border guarding force, InshaAllah,” he said, adding that its members will continue to serve the nation with patriotism and professional dedication.
