TDS Desk:

BNP Standing Committee Member Hafiz Uddin Ahmed has expressed hope that reinvestigation into the Pilkhana BDR (Bangladesh Rifles, now Border Guard Bangladesh) mutiny by the current interim government would uncover the real events behind the tragic incident.

Speaking at a press conference held at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office on Tuesday, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed described the BDR mutiny as a heart-breaking event that undermined the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh.

He said, “The incident of BDR killings is a grave violation… there are far-reaching plans to turn this country into a dependent state without a strong army. We strongly believe that this re-investigation will uncover the mystery behind it.”

Hafiz Uddin, a former army officer and freedom fighter, added that the BNP hopes the interim government will conduct an impartial investigation and swiftly begin the trial process.

The mutiny, which occurred on 25-26 February 2009, resulted in the deaths of the then director general of BDR, Maj Gen Shakeel Ahmed, 57 active army officers, and 17 other civilians, including women and children, at the BDR headquarters in Pilkhana, Dhaka.

He claimed that many innocent people had been punished while the guilty went unpunished in the aftermath of the mutiny.

Expressing gratitude to the interim government for taking the initiative to reinvestigate the incident at the BNP’s request, the BNP leader said it is crucial for the future of Bangladesh. He further said that it is required to identify the institutions and political parties involved in the mutiny, which he alleged acted as collaborators with a neighbouring country. “Our party has already said that we will provide all possible assistance to the interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus… we want to start a new journey. We want to see a fair resolution of the heinous BDR killing incident within a short time.”

When asked about the timeline for the reinvestigation, Hafiz Uddin said that while the BNP hopes for a swift conclusion, it is difficult to set a specific deadline for such a complex investigation.

He mentioned that a delegation of BNP leaders had met the chief adviser on 28 August urging a reinvestigation to determine whether any foreign influence was involved in the mutiny and to form a commission.

“We are happy that within a short time, the home adviser, with the consent of the chief adviser, has taken the initiative to start the reinvestigation and retrial of this heinous murder. For that, I express my sincere thanks to the present interim government,” Hafiz Uddin said.

He recalled that an initial investigation was conducted by a committee led by the then quartermaster general of the army, Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, now the home adviser. However, the report from that investigation was never disclosed, leading to suspicions among the public.

Hafiz Uddin also said that the public and the BNP are closely monitoring the activities of the army during the current interim government. He praised the Bangladesh army chief and military forces for their role in ousting Sheikh Hasina from power and supporting the “student-mass revolution.”

BNP Standing Committee Members Salahuddin Ahmed, Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, and advisory council members Ismail Jobiullah and Brig Gen (retd) AKM Shamsul Islam were also present at the press conference.