Dhaka [Bangladesh], December 27 (ANI): Bangladesh’s Major General (Retd) ALM Fazlur Rahman, chairman of newly-formed National Independent Commission on Thursday said that the commission will probe the 2009 mutiny, and exposing the “domestic and foreign conspiracies,” according to a report by Dhaka Tribune.
While speaking after the commission’s inaugural meeting at the Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) headquarters in Dhaka on Thursday, Rahman said, “This is a national issue, an event of unprecedented magnitude. The scale of the tragedy is unparalleled, and we are committed to ensuring a comprehensive investigation into the events of that fateful day.”
The commission’s primary task will be to uncover both domestic and foreign conspiracies surrounding the incident at the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR-now BGB) headquarters in Pilkhana, Dhaka. The National Independent Commission has been given a three-month timeframe.
“We will use our intellect and dedication to complete the investigation within the given period,” the Commission chief said, Dhaka Tribune reported.
During the tenure of Sheikh Hasina, that probe was carried out. However, on August 5, a student-led movement ousted Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, after weeks of protests and clashes that killed over 600 people. Hasina, 76, fled to India and an interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was formed.
On February 25 and 26, 2009, members of the BDR mutinied against their commanding officers at the central Dhaka headquarters, killing 74 people, including 57 army officers. A number of women relatives of the officers were sexually assaulted. Human Rights Watch research had found that many of the accused were tortured in custody and most were denied access to proper representation.
“We have long said that the atrocities that took place during the mutiny need to be investigated and prosecuted, but this should not be done through unfair mass trials after the use of torture,” Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch had said in 2017. “Particularly when the death penalty is involved, expediency cannot take priority over justice,” Adams added.
The BDR mutiny took place soon after the new Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina won elections in December 2008. Under great pressure from the army and amid fears of a coup, the government responded to the mutiny by rounding up nearly 6,000 members of the BDR. Many were tried in mass trials before closed military courts. A separate civilian prosecution team chose to try nearly 850 members of the BDR in a single mass trial in one courtroom.
In July 2012, Human Rights Watch released a report, “‘The Fear Never Leaves Me’: Torture, Custodial Deaths, and Unfair Trials after the 2009 Mutiny of the Bangladesh Rifles,” which provided a detailed account of the mutiny and the authorities’ response.
Human Rights Watch documented serious abuses by the authorities in the aftermath, including at least 47 custodial deaths and widespread torture of BDR members by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and other security forces. The government has claimed that all deaths in custody were due to natural causes. (ANI)
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