BANGLADESH

Nation pays tribute to Pilkhana martyrs

The 15th anniversary of the Pilkhana BDR massacre is being observed on Sunday. A total of 74 people, including 57 army officers, were killed in the carnage in 2009. Marking the day, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has organised Quran recital, prayers, and milad mahfil.

Major General SM Salahuddin Islam and Major General Kabir Ahmed, military secretaries to the president and prime minister, respectively, laid wreaths at the Military Graveyard in Banani, Dhaka, honoring the army officers who perished.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, alongside the Chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force — General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed, Admiral M Nazmul Hassan, and Air Chief Marshal Sheikh Abdul Hannan — also paid their respects.

Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddique, Director General of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), along with families and relatives of the martyrs, joined in commemorating the fallen.

A moment of silence was observed, memorializing the 74 victims, including 57 army officers, who lost their lives during the armed insurrection at the BDR (now BGB) headquarters on February 25, 2009.

The mutiny, which erupted amidst the “BDR Week” celebrations, concluded after intense negotiations, leading to the rebels’ surrender of arms. The aftermath saw the filing of 58 cases related to murder, looting, and mutiny.

In the largest-ever killing case in the country, 152 individuals received the death penalty, and 423 were handed various prison sentences for their roles in the massacre. Additionally, 277 were acquitted.

Among the convicts, 262 mutineers were sentenced to different jail terms starting from three months to 19 years and 161 people, including late BNP leader Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu and local Awami League leader Torab Ali, were sentenced to life imprisonment.

On the other hand, 5,926 BDR personnel were sentenced to different jail terms ranging from four months to seven years in the 57 mutiny cases.

On 25 February, 2009, several hundred Bangladesh Rifles (now BGB) men staged an armed revolt at the Darbar Hall of the force’s Pilkhana headquarters during the three-day “BDR Week”. They killed 74 people, including 57 army officers.

The mutiny ended the following day with the surrender of firearms, ammunition and grenades through a negotiation between the then government and the BDR rebels.

A total of 58 cases including one for murder and looting and the rest for mutiny were filed in connection with the incident.

Some 152 people were sentenced to death and 423 others to different jail terms in the killing case. Besides, 277 accused were acquitted in the country’s largest-ever killing case.

Among the convicts, 262 mutineers were sentenced to different jail terms starting from three months to 19 years and 161 people, including late BNP leader Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu and local Awami League leader Torab Ali, were sentenced to life imprisonment. On the other hand, 5,926 BDR personnel were sentenced to different jail terms ranging from four months to seven years in the 57 mutiny cases.

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