A Bangladesh Rifles special court indicted 84 troops of Dhaka sector on Monday for their alleged role in February 2009 mutiny at the BDR headquarters in the capital.
The three-member special court-11, headed by BDR Mymensingh sector commander, Colonel Iftekhar Uddin Mahmud, set November 7 for the commencement of the trial, in the presence of reporters.
The court chair announced that the trial would begin with recording depositions by the witnesses.
Five of the accused troops, lance nayek Jahangir Alam, lance nayek (driver) Awal Hawlader, sepoy Emran Hossain, sepoy Rafiqul Hossain and sepoy (driver) Anwar Hossain pleaded guilty and sought unconditional mercy for their alleged role in the mutiny.
The court assured them of justice.
The scope for seeking mercy by pleading guilty will remain open to all accused troops, said the presiding judge.
The presiding judge adjourned the proceedings of the court until 10 AM on November 7 and asked the prosecutor to present the witnesses before it on the day.
Lieutenant Colonel Shahadat Hossain and Major AKM Alamgir Hossain are the two other member of the court.
Lawyer Mohammad Ullah Kislu, a representative of the attorney general assisted the court.
The prosecutor, Major Md Taslim Uddin of Dhaka sector headquarters of BDR on Sunday brought six charges, including killing, looting arms and planning the mutiny, against the accused.
Of the 84 accused, 19 were arrested soon after the mutiny and 59 others were shown arrested later.
At least 74 persons, including 57 BDR commanders, all army officers on deputation, a retired Colonel, wives of two army officers, 9 BDR troops, 3 passers-by, an army soldier and a police constable, were killed in the mutiny at the BDR headquarters at Peelkhana on February 25 and 26, 2009.
The government appointed 10 special courts, five of them in Dhaka, to prosecute 3,500 BDR troops accused in 40 cases of rebellion in BDR units across the country.
The BDR law stipulates the maximum punishment of seven years’ imprisonment for rebellion.
According to a government decision, for murder and other crimes, allegedly committed by BDR troops during the mutiny, the accused would be tried by civil courts.
The Criminal Investigation Department of the police is investigating the crimes.
A BDR special court at Rangamati started the trial of accused troops in November last year.
BDR special courts at Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Feni, Satkhira and Rangamati already gave verdicts.
