Sent to jail after filing sedition cases
A total of 591 Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) jawans were arrested at different units in ten districts on charge of staging mutiny following the Pilkhana carnage on February 25-26.
Police and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) made the arrests after filing sedition cases against the suspected mutineers. The arrested border guards were later sent to jails in districts concerned following court orders.
Of the arrestees, 106 were apprehended at Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar, 93 at Rajshahi, 78 at Khagrachhari, 44 at Jamalpur, 23 at Sunamganj, 72 at Netrakona, 53 at Naogaon, 43 at Moulvibazar, 30 at Chapainawabganj and 49 more at Mymensingh, according to our correspondents and sources.
Meanwhile, a Dhaka court yesterday placed 48 suspected BDR men including arrested Deputy Assistant Director Towhid on remands after Criminal Investigation Department (CID) produced them before the court with remand prayers, reports our court correspondent.
Of them, Towhid and two others were placed on three-day remand each and the rest 45 on five days’ remand each.
Moreover, seven suspected mutineers yesterday confessed to their involvement in the Pilkhana carnage under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code. They are sepoys Ziaul Haque, Rashedul Islam, Rabiul Islam, Shahjahan, Atiar Rahman, Abdur Rahim and Saifuddin.
Another Dhaka court sent 24 BDR jawans to jail after they were produced before it following their remand.
In Teknaf, police and Rab arrested 106 BDR jawans out of 107 accused in the sedition case filed on Sunday. The suspects were arrested at the sector headquarters of 42 Rifles Battalion in the morning.
Our staff correspondent in Rajshahi reports: Rajshahi Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s (CMM) Court sent the 93 suspected BDR jawans to jail after they were produced before it.
Goalia police chief Ramzan Ali filed the sedition case with the Rajshahi CMM court against the BDR jawans for their ‘unruly activities’ on February 26 at Rajshahi BDR sector headquarters.
The accused border guards reportedly demonstrated on that day and fired injuring a rickshaw-puller.
Our Netrakona correspondent reports: Police and Rab arrested 72 BDR suspects after identifying them from video footages of different television channels and photographs published in local and national dailies and on confessional statements made by arrested BDR personnel.
In Naogaon, police arrested 53 jawans from two battalions in the district. However, they were also sent to jail following a court order.
Our Chapainawabganj correspondent adds: Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court in the district ordered to send the 30 suspected BDR members to jail after police produced them before it yesterday.
On February 26, the BDR jawans took control of the camp in the district town and barricaded different roads.
BDR jawan Nazrul Islam sustained bullet wound while he was loading his rifle during the mutiny.
Our Mymensingh correspondent reports: Police produced 49 BDR personnel of 45 Battalion before a Judicial Magistrate court yesterday. The arrestees included five subedars, eleven havilders and 33 jawans. They were later sent to jail.
Police filed the case against the 49 arrestees with Kotwali Police Station on Sunday. They will be produced before the court on June 26, said court sources.