United News of Bangladesh

The government has decided to observe February 25 as National Martyred Army Day, honouring the supreme sacrifice of army officers who lost their lives in the tragic Pilkhana incident. A notification issued by the Cabinet Division on Sunday instructed all ministries, divisions and organisations to comply with the observance annually. However, the day will not be marked as a public holiday. Pilkhana massacre reinvestigation: Commission seeks army's cooperation, as they meet General Waker-uz-Zaman On February 25, 2009, several hundred mutineers of the then Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), now Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), launched an armed rebellion at the Pilkhana Darbar Hall, brutally killing 74 people. Among the martyrs were 56 valiant army officers, including the then BDR chief, Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed. Their sacrifice remains a dark yet solemn chapter in the nation’s history. Pilkhana Massacre: Govt decides against forming inquiry committee for now Each year, the country remembers this tragic day with deep sorrow, paying tribute to those who laid down their lives in the line of duty.  

Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman has said that the Pilkhana massacre was the part of an "international conspiracy" to keep the Awami League in power. "It wasn’t a mutiny; it was rather a planned murder. In the Pilkhana massacre, we lost the nation's brave sons. Their loss was an attack on the sovereignty of Bangladesh," he said while speaking at a shadow parliament organised by Debate for Democracy at the FDC in the capital on Saturday. By killing 57 army officers, the then Awami League government created an atmosphere of anarchy in Bangladesh, he said, adding that many of the masterminds behind the Pilkhana massacre are still at large, and efforts are being made to bring them to justice. Pilkhana massacre reinvestigation: Commission seeks army's cooperation, as they meet General Waker-uz-Zaman He said that the activists of the Chhatra League and Jubo League, dressed in BDR uniforms, were allegedly involved in the massacre. Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiron, chairman of Debate for Democracy, presided over the event. Kiron said just two months after the Awami League returned to power under Sheikh Hasina’s leadership for a second term, the Pilkhana massacre occurred. “It remains a dark chapter in our history.” Pilkhana Tragedy: Martyred Army families demand fair probe, call for Martyred Army Day He said that the massacre was aimed at undermining the country’s sovereignty, not to fulfil any demands. "It was carried out to weaken the army and prevent any strong force like the BDR from existing," Kiron added.  

Over 300 members of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) are being freed  on bail after 16 years in jails in an explosive case over the BDR carnage at Dhaka’s Pilkhana. The prisoners started coming out of Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj and Kashimpur Central Jail in Gazipur on Thursday morning. Of them, 178 BDR members are set to be freed from Dhaka Central Jail and 126 from Kashimpur Central Jail. Earlier on Sunday, Judge of Dhaka Special Tribunal-1 Md Ibrahim Mia granted the bail to the BDR members in the explosive case. The court was set up temporarily inside the Dhaka Central Jail. On Tuesday, the jail authorities disclosed the list of the convicts who secured bail. The necessary documents for the bail were sent to both jails on Wednesday. After completing legal procedures, the Dhaka Central Jail authority started releasing 178 prisoners. The rest will be freed later, said jailer AKM Masud. The authority of Kashimpur Central Jail has released 38 inmates till 1am on Thursday. Read: Awami League orchestrated BDR massacre for political gain: Shahidul Alam

The government has decided not to form an independent commission of inquiry to reinvestigate the 2009 Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) killings, citing the ongoing legal proceedings related to the incident. The Home Ministry informed the High Court of this decision on Sunday. Deputy Attorney General Tanim Khan informed the High Court bench, led by Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debashish Roy Chowdhury, about this development. An initial proposal to form a commission to probe the mutiny was made earlier, but the Home Ministry's update on Sunday clarified that the decision had been put on hold due to two pending cases. On February 25-26, 2009, 74 people, including 57 army officers deputised to BDR, were killed during an apparent mutiny by the force's jawans. Pilkhana Massacre: HC issues rule on formation of investigation committee In the case filed over the incident, 152 people were sentenced to death, 161 were sentenced to life imprisonment, 256 were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment and 278 were acquitted. But most victims' families, and many others, continued to maintain the real truth behind the unprecedented incident has never been uncovered. The case is currently being heard in the Appellate Division. As the other case is pending in the Bakshi Bazar Temporary Court, the formation of the committee proposed as per the petitioner's demand would conflict with the court order, so it is not possible to form the committee for the time being. The government is keen to strees it has considered the matter with great importance. But as the two cases are pending in the court, no decision could be taken at this stage, according to Home Ministry’s Assistant Secretary of the Public Security Division Md Mofizul Islam.  

A human chain in Kurigram on Wednesday demanded a fair investigation into the 2009 Pilkhana massacre, the release of innocent former BDR personnel currently imprisoned, and the reinstatement of those dismissed in the aftermath. The human chain, organized by the Kurigram BDR Welfare Council, took place at the Shaheed Minar square in Kurigram municipality. Speakers at the event highlighted the injustice faced by thousands of BDR (later renamed Border Guard Bangladesh) personnel following the tragic incidents of February 25-26, 2009, when a mutiny at the Pilkhana headquarters in Dhaka led to the deaths of over 70 people, including 57 army officers. In the aftermath, more than 18,500 BDR members were subjected to trials, with many dismissed from their posts and sentenced to various terms for their alleged involvement in the rebellion. The protesters also demanded the immediate, unconditional release of about 800 BDR members who are still imprisoned, many facing long sentences despite claims of innocence. They also called for the reinstatement of all dismissed members. Akher Ali, a dismissed BDR member, said that many of those dismissed were innocent and unjustly punished. "There are still about 800 of our colleagues in prison. They should be released unconditionally and reinstated in their jobs," Ali added. Hosne Ara Happy, daughter of a former BDR member, said, "My father spent three long years in prison without being involved in the Pilkhana incident. Later, he passed away.” “I saw firsthand the suffering and social humiliation he endured. I don’t want any other BDR member to suffer like my father did. They all deserve to have their jobs reinstated," she said. Other speakers included dismissed BDR members Md. Akher Ali, Md. Nuruzzaman Haque, Mostafa Kamal, Azad Ali, as well as family members of the affected BDR personnel.