BDR massacre verdict on October 30 After four and a half years of a bloody mutiny in the paramilitary border force, a trial court Sunday fixed October 30 for delivering its verdict on the mass murder of BDR officers at Pilkhana in February 2009. Third Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman set the date for judgment in the case of killings. The trial court, set up temporarily at Old Dhaka’s Alia Madrasa grounds near the Dhaka Central Jail, fixed the date after completion of the arguments from both the prosecution and defence sides. A number of 850 people, including detained BNP leader Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu, former leader of a Dhaka City ward unit of Awami League Torab Ali Akand and BDR Deputy Assistant Director Mohammad Towhidul Islam, are made accused in the case. Of the accused, 23 are civilians. During the trial, the court recorded the depositions of 654 out of 1,345 prosecution witnesses in the case. Of the 850 accused persons, 813 are now in jail while 20 are on the run, 13 are on bail and four accused died during the trial period. On February 25-26 in 2009, a total of 74 people, including 57 senior army officers, were killed during the bloody mutiny at Pilkhana in the capital. After the bloody mutiny, the border forces, then known as BDR, was given a new name BGB (Border Guard Bangladesh). The criminal case was initially filed with Lalbagh Police Station for killing, looting, arson, and sedition, which was subsequently transferred to New Market Police Station. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested a total of 2,307 people in connection with the mutiny. 2,282 of them were taken on remand while 543 gave confessional statements in the case. On July 12 in 2010, CID’s Special Superintendent Abdul Kahar Akand submitted charge-sheet before the court against the 850 accused. On January 5, 2011, the court took into cognisance the charges of the killing case and on August 10, 2011 the court framed charges against the accused. The trial of another case filed under the explosive substances act in connection with the mutiny is going on at the same court. The number of accused in the case is 808. Earlier on May 5 in 2012, a special court headed by Director (Admin) of BGB Headquarters Col Khandakar Obaidul Ahsan had sentenced 309 soldiers of 36 Rifle Battalion of erstwhile Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) to up to seven years of rigorous imprisonment for their role in the mutiny on February 25-26, 2009. The court also acquitted one sepoy Abdur Rashid as charges brought against him were not proved.
Posted on: Mon, 21 Oct 2013 06:44:11 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015