Mutiny 2009
665 BDR men jailed
A special court sentenced 665 jawans of the 44 Rifle Battalion of erstwhile Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) to rigorous imprisonment ranging from four months to seven years in the 2009 BDR mutiny case yesterday.
A total 113 jawans were sentenced to maximum punishment under the BDR Act, 1972.
This is the highest number sentenced in any single case related to the mutiny.
Seventy-four people including 57 army officials were killed during the uprising of February 25-26, 2009.
Special Court-9 headed by Dhaka Sector Commander Col Md Aheya Azam Khan of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) tried the case. Other members of this court were Lt Col Md Shahadat Hossain and Maj Md Mahfuzur Rahman.
The court acquitted eight jawans as allegations against them were not proved. Among the acquitted five had admitted their guilt, three had not.
Among those sentenced, 113 were jailed for seven years, one for six years and a half years, 32 for six years, 26 for five and a half years, 131 for five years, 124 for four and a half years, 73 for four years, 16 for three and a half years, 16 for three years, two for two and a half years and, 38 for two years, eight for one year and half years, 52 for one year, 15 for six months and 18 for four months each.
Each of the convicted was also fined Tk 100 by the court.
This figure includes 129 also accused in the BDR carnage case.
Sepoy Selim Reza – one of the prime accused in the BDR mutiny case and much talked about for leading and masterminding the Pilkhana uprising and carnage – was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment.
The judge began the verdict delivery around 10:00am, ending at 2:00pm with a ten-minute break in between.
He described the happenings during the mutiny when on Feb 25 of 2009 around 2500 BDR members including all officers of Pilkhana Headquarters, JCO’s, jawans, and all sector commanders gathered at former BDR director general Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed’s Darbar.
The 44 Rifle Battalion had been deployed to guard Darbar Hall, the DG’s residence, Gate no 05, the central armoury and Dhaka sector magazine at BDR headquarters on the day, he said.
The commotion erupted inside the Darbar hall after sepoys Mayeen of 13 Rifle Battalion and Kajol of 44 Rifle Battalion entered the hall with arms. Sepoy Mayeen was carrying a rifle of 44 Battalion. He remains absconding, the court was told.
The Battalion’s army officials could not control their subordinates as the jawans had preplanned the mutiny.
“BGB authority has decided to abolish the 44 Rifle Battalion. A date for this will be declared later,” the judge told the court.
The trial started on April 26 in 2010. Charges were framed against 675 – two of whom have since died.
The charges include leaving Darbar Hall in defiance of orders of the then director general Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed, collection of firearms and ammunition from the armouries and not taking effective measures to thwart the mutiny and taking part in the mutiny with firearms.
Investigation officers identified the offenders by the use of video footages and images. They also checked calls made on the jawans cell phones at the time.
Courtesy of The Daily Star
