BDR renamed as BGB
Star Online Report
President Zillur Rahman has consented to the Border Guard Bangladesh Bill 2010, renaming the Bangladesh Rifles and providing maximum death penalty for a mutiny.
The Jatiya Sangsad, earlier on December 8, passed the bill with the provision of death penalty for offences like rebellion, killing and arson within the paramilitary force.
The government had moved to enact the law repealing the existing one to restructure the BDR in the wake of the heinous killings of army officers at the Pilkhana headquarters in February last year.
Under the law, some stringent rules and provisions will be followed in the operation of the security force.
The existing law allows the BDR authorities to jail any soldier for a maximum of seven years for his involvement in a mutiny. The force is currently trying the suspects of last year's BDR mutiny in the special courts while the trial of killing, looting, arson, and other grievous offences will be held in the civil courts.
The unprecedented mutiny broke out when army officers refused to fulfill the demands made by BDR jawans at their yearly Darbar (assembly). The mutiny left 74 people including 57 army officers killed.
The provision dealing with mutiny says if two or more members jointly disobey a legal order of the authorities of the border force, armed forces or auxiliary forces, or challenge and resist them, the members will be charged with mutiny.
Besides, expressing anger to the authorities or making attempts to do so is considered mutiny in the provision, and the maximum punishment for such action would be death penalty.
The bill also kept the post of director general of the force reserved for the army and other posts will be given to armed forces' commissioned officers on deputation or to the force's junior officers by promoting them. The director general will command, administer and control the force in accordance with the law.
The bill also suggests that during war the border force will be placed under the control of the defence ministry and will discharge duties assigned by the ministry.
The bill has provision for formation of a reserved force consisted of retired junior officers and border guard men. The reserve force members will have to assist the regular force when asked to do so.
Upon government approval, the director general may appoint reserve force members as junior officers and rank-holder border guard members for a certain period due to shortage of manpower in the force.
BDR renamed as BGB