Bangladesh:Gunfight at BDR headquarters

[Straight]

A tender side of loving Bangladesh in the BDR carnage.

All carnages are carnage. Yet, after a fiery battle, on the same scorched battle ground, sprouts a tender tube of grass with a small flower under its tiny affectionate shade.

After all that horrendous scenes of BDR carnage, there emerge perpetually another scenes at the main gate of BDR HQ : Mothers, Fathers, Wives, Brothers, Sisters, Sons & Daughters and other kith & kin came---accompanying the innocent (or maybe a few guilty) BDR personnel---up to the Gate, just to watch that he has safely entered through it.

But, then they did not return. Many stayed there for days & weeks---under the oppressive heat and maze of dirt with-out any home-cooked meal or a satisfying sleep---on the very footpath near the gate through which their beloved kin had passed through. They could not leave that place---as if tied by the strongest bond of heart & blood----lest something happened to the boy or may be he is not being fed or may be something---- which even they themselves do not know.

This is a wonderful relationship---almost non-existent in many places in these modern days. Did you ever notice how---for each departing worker going abroad----5 or 6 family members come to the airport ? They stay till the plane takes off with roars, and then vanishes in the sky. Yet they keep on looking at that far spot in the sky through where the beloved kin just has gone too far.

Oh! Why Bangladesh was made so tender & loving ? Why Bangladeshis were given so much tears of love---the immense volume of flood-water dry up but not the tears ?

Yet, how come we fall in such trap of carnage ? Is it all by ourselves ? Or have some of us been sold out to heartless demons ? Or are the demons trying so hard to turn us against ourselves ?

Shall not we wake up and stand strongly now ?

 

[Straight]

Few Questions raised by Serajur Rahman—the veteran BBC correspondent

How valid these are ?

1. In the torrent of Global recession, Bangladesh commerce is also under serious threat of disarray. In stead of focusing on raging issues regarding this and working out solution thereof, why Commerce Minister is so busy in matters of BDR carnage investigation, and in notorious concoct of facts ?

2. Why PM is not at all controlling his rein to set him in proper direction ?

3. When 57 senior officers were killed, and several others died in apparent accidents, why then BAL Govt. opted for forced-retirement of further few veterans and senior officers of the Army in stead of retaining---evening extending---there services till the crisis eased out ? It is to be noted that, on the other hand, Govt. has reinstated around 100 civil service officers.

4. Will at least 50,000 innocent sepoys be retained in re-structured BDR ? If not, in these days of advancing recession, will this affect as many families---aggravating the gloomy recession scenario further ?

5. In the aftermath period of 15th August killing by few Army officers, the rest of Bangladesh Army remained intact, and was rather strengthened. The name of Army, Divisions, Brigades remained the same, too. Why then we can not retain the same (BDR) name which bears a part of history ? Who can ensure that the new and reformed BDR will not be another ‘Rakkhi Bahini-in-disguise’ ?


See for details : ::Welcome to Daily Naya Diganta::

 

[BanglaBhoot]

BDR chief to lead border force renewal

Dhaka, Mar 23 (bdnews24.com)—The BDR chief, Brig Gen Moinul Islam, will lead the efforts to reform and reorganise Bangladesh's border force.

A three-hour meeting, chaired by commerce minister Faruq Khan, coordinator of post-mutiny affairs, decided on Monday that a new frontier force would be formed with a new name.

"A seven-member committee headed by the BDR chief will be constituted to implement the decision," Faruq Khan told a news conference.

The minister said: "There were over 7,000 BDR men at Peelkhana on the day of the massacre."

"Of them, 1,800 members did not report back after the mutiny. Many fled with weapons and ammunition."

"Some 714 suspects have been identified and 482 were arrested. Eighty are being interrogated in remand."

He said that audio tapes of the Darbar Hall incident and video footage, caught on CCTV, of the looting of weapons and stores were available.

The minister refused to speculate on the number of weapons looted. "There are 24 armouries in the headquarters, with huge quantities of arms and ammunition. We do not have the required manpower at the moment to determine exactly how many are missing.

"It will take time."

Asked on his assertions about "militant connections" to the mutiny, he said he got the information from his own sources. He said he had talked with a number of people inside the headquarters and that he had not got it from any of the investigators.

From now on, he said, the BDR relatives will be allowed to meet only "if they can prove it's an emergency".

On the students' appeal to allow them to take their educational materials or papers from their homes inside the BDR compound, Faruq said they would have to approach at the Gate no. 4 with proof to get those.

In the last few days, the minister said, three BDR members and an Imam of the BDR mosque died inside the Peelkhana that a rights organisation alleged "deaths in custody".

Of the four deaths in Dhaka headquarters, Faruq claimed one BDR member committed suicide and two other members died of "physical illness" and the Imam died of cardiac arrest.

Outside Dhaka, he said, one member committed suicide in Joypurhat and two more died of "physical illness".

The minister added: "The frontiers are well protected since officers and jawans in border areas returned to their battalions and sector headquarters."

BDR director general Brig Gen Moinul Islam, investigators including heads of probe committees and other officials were present at Monday's meeting.

BDR chief to lead border force renewal :: Bangladesh :: bdnews24.com ::

 

[BanglaBhoot]

Video-audio evidence of BDR carnage found

Footage to help investigation greatly; another FBI team shortly; govt waits for post-mortem on BDR men's death

Investigators of the BDR carnage found audiotapes and footage of the BDR officers' meeting held on February 25 morning at Darbar Hall in Pilkhana and the CCTV footage of arms being looted from the BDR arsenal.

Commerce Minister Faruk Khan, assigned to coordinate the work of probe committees, disclosed it yesterday evening to reporters after holding the third meeting of a probe-coordination committee at the BDR headquarters.

Faruk said the investigators are now looking into the audiotapes and footage of the Darbar Hall meeting and the CCTV footage of arsenal looting.

The footage would greatly help investigators identify the BDR jawans involved in the killing of BDR officers and looting of arms.

CID sources said it has a cell, led by an assistant superintendent of police (ASP), looking into the footage to identify the criminals.

According to sources in the cell, they are watching the footage to grab stills of suspects. The stills would be shown to witnesses so that they could identify the jawans involved in the carnage.

They said they would also give the photos to BDR authorities so that they could identify and provide details of the suspects.

BDR Director General Brig Gen Mainul Islam, chiefs of Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Special Branch of Police (SB), Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), other agencies concerned and senior officials of all three BDR carnage probe bodies were present at the probe-coordination committee meeting.

Faruk said a committee headed by the BDR director general has been formed to submit a report on restructuring and renaming BDR.

On the recent mysterious deaths of BDR jawans, Faruk said the real cause of their deaths would be clear after receiving their autopsy reports.

Meanwhile, the government probe committee was given four more days yesterday to submit its report. It had sought seven days' time.

This is the second time the committee sought time. Headed by retired bureaucrat Anisuzzaman Khan, the committee was supposed to submit its report yesterday. Initially, it was supposed to file the report by March 9.

Asked about the necessity of the 11-member government probe body when the army and the CID are investigating the incident separately, Faruk said, "The army is probing the incident for its own purpose, the CID is carrying out the criminal investigation and the government formed the probe body for the state's own purpose."

Meanwhile, a few hundred family members of BDR jawans demonstrated for several hours in front of the BDR headquarters gate-1 demanding they be allowed to visit the jawans.

However, Faruk said that they have decided not allow family members visit jawans at Pilkhana anymore. He said family members would only be allowed to make visits under special circumstances.

Talking about the progress of investigations, the commerce minister said the investigators so far identified 714 suspects and of them 482 are under arrest.

Among the arrestees, 80 persons, who were placed on remands, gave their confessional statements before investigators under Section-161 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

"So far 56 crime scenes have been discovered. Crime scenes and evidence of crime are being discovered almost every day," he said, adding, "The investigators have been screening all 7,000 BDR members inside Pilkhana so that real culprits are identified and the innocent are not harassed."

The commerce minister said the FBI team, which left Dhaka yesterday morning, expressed satisfaction over Bangladeshi investigators' probe efforts.

He said another FBI team would come to Dhaka three weeks later.

Replying to a question, the commerce minister said the FBI and Scotland Yard teams helped Bangladeshi investigators identify criminals with fingerprints and sweat. They also helped identify BDR jawans, who had masked their faces, in the footage, the minister said.

Faruk said 1,800 BDR men have not reported to their stations. "Actually, not all of them are guilty…they did not join due to fears while some are absconding with arms and ammunition."

A total of 95 BDR carnage suspects were shown arrested yesterday and sent to jail.

US Ambassador James Moriarty after meeting Faruk Khan, foreign ministers Dipu Moni, and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Adviser Tarique Siddique on Sunday noted that the scale of the investigation suggests that it could take a considerable amount of time to complete.

The Daily Star - Details News

 

[BanglaBhoot]

To assault or not?

The probability of success of an assault was high, with casualties being in the ‘acceptable’ rather than ‘unacceptable’ range. This assessment stems from the mutineers’ poor motivation, unwillingness to die, inferior arms and lack of defensive preparations. These same factors would have prevented riflemen outside Dhaka from rebelling. Even if they had, their scattered location would have meant limited local impact that nearby army units could have contained easily, writes Mumtaz Iqbal

OPINIONS differ on the merit of an army assault on the Pilkhana mutineers on February 25. The anti-interventionists argue that attacking the armed rebels would have caused considerable casualties amongst the combatants and civilians inside and outside Pilkhana, property damage, riflemen outside Dhaka to mutiny in sympathy, and blood feud between the army and the Bangladesh Rifles.

First, on the number of armed mutineers. Although about 5,000 riflemen were present, about 450 or less than 10 per cent appear to have been involved and only about a 100 or so hardcore types active in killing, molesting and looting (newspaper reports).

Second, BDR equipment is basically hand-me-down and discarded army issue. Apart from rifles, the BDR had machine guns and recoilless rifles. These are offensive and defensive weapons. The three-inch mortars are not much use in defence.

Since rebellion is a capital crime, it is interesting that the mutineers did not establish defensive positions in anticipation of an assault, a standard response. Did they get a hint that this was not on the cards?

Contrast this with the response to the BDR mutiny on February 16, 1972 when Bangabandhu used S force to crush the mutiny after talks failed.

In contrast to the anti-authoritarian and/or anti-colonial rationale of mutinies such as the PRC’s Yanchang Uprising 1927 and Vietnam’s Yen Bai 1930, the BDR mutiny lacked any overarching political or social themes but focused on pecuniary benefits. The riflemen’s demands lacked purity and a just cause. Their will to fight and die for their beliefs was absent.

This explains why desertions started after the first cowardly killings began about 10:00am or so. Most riflemen wanted benefits, not involvement in murder.

When could the assault have taken place? One answer: almost at the mutiny’s outset.

This is based on ex-RAB intelligence chief late Colonel Gulzar Ahmed’s request at 9:30am on February 25 to his RAB colleagues to send two platoons (sixty men) as the killers ‘…don’t seem to be organised’ (newspaper reports March 16).

As an anti-terrorism veteran, his evaluation can’t be ignored. While assault preparations were ongoing, security forces could and should have quarantined Pilkhana, signalling to the mutineers that they were surrounded, escape impossible and they had better negotiate or face the consequences.

Instead TV crews interviewed the mutineers. The authorities sent an odd assortment of intermediaries untrained in mutiny and hostage negotiations to parley.

We don’t know what they talked but did the authorities’ uncoordinated actions embolden the mutineers to believe that officialdom was ‘weak’ and public sentiment not entirely against them?

As to the actual assault, this could have been made by troops from 46 Brigade and Air Defence Unit, located near the Dhaka cantonment, between 11:00am and 12:00 noon, judged by what the army high command told the prime minister (newspaper reports).

The probability of success of an assault was high, with casualties being in the ‘acceptable’ rather than ‘unacceptable’ range. This assessment stems from the mutineers’ poor motivation, unwillingness to die, inferior arms and lack of defensive preparations.

These same factors would have prevented riflemen outside Dhaka from rebelling. Even if they had, their scattered location would have meant limited local impact that nearby army units could have contained easily.

There was never any indication that the army would not obey orders. So the chance of sustained fighting or cooperation between the two sets of jawans was remote.

Given what we now know, it’s unlikely that the officers’ lives could have been saved since most of the killings were over by noon. The question then is whether the assault preparations would have hastened the killings or pre-empted them.

There is no easy answer. But quelling a mutiny inherently involves risks and uncertainty. But good planning and execution would have minimised but not eliminated them, e.g. Entebbe 1976.

Pilkhana’s defences comprise nothing more substantial than a high wall. The Pakistanis on March 25, 1971 using jeep-mounted 106 mm recoilless rifles easily breached it with few civilian deaths.

The assault debate is a legitimate one. Equally legitimate is one about the process and quality of official decision making to tackle the mutiny. Was it proper for top officials to parley with the mutineers, announce amnesty and give indirect assurances about meeting their demands?

This chain of events, contrary to conventional practice in dealing with mutiny and hostages, gives the impression rightly or wrongly that the authorities were more concerned with the mutineers’ grievances than the hostages’ fate.

The combination of mutiny, massacre and quality of response has hurt national security. Repairing it will be hard. The reports of the Anis and army committees hopefully will be a first step in healing.

http://www.newagebd.com/2009/mar/24/oped.html#1

 

[leonblack08]

103 BDR men arrested, 23 remanded
Star Online Report

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Police today arrested 103 more BDR men suspected to have links with the last month's carnage.

The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court for Dhaka sent 23 of them into seven-day remand for interrogation.

The CID collected statements from 33 other BDR personnel and 16 relatives of victims in the carnage at the BDR headquarters, an assistant superintendent told The Daily Star.

He said that they also recovered some ammunition and other evidence from the Pilkahna.

CID already arrested 482 BDR members in connection with the massacre.

The Daily Star - Details News

 

[leonblack08]

Commerce minister Faruk's lies continues and it is unveiled once again.

'No footage of BDR massacre found'
Star Online Report

Investigators did not find any video footage of the last month's massacre by Bangladesh Rifles members at Pilkhana, a senior CID official said today.

An audiotape containing the speech of Major General Shakil Ahmed was retrieved, the officer said preferring anonymity.

Commerce Minister Faruk Khan yesterday said the investigators found video footage and an audiotape containing evidence of massacre at the Darbar Hall on February 25.

The CID officer said the mutineers damaged nine CCTVs installed at the armoury and the office of the director general.

According to CID sources they found video footage from the CCTV's captured before those were damaged.

The Daily Star - Details News

 

[Straight]

BDR chief to lead border force renewal

Dhaka, Mar 23 (bdnews24.com)—The BDR chief, Brig Gen Moinul Islam, will lead the efforts to reform and reorganise Bangladesh's border force.

A three-hour meeting, chaired by commerce minister Faruq Khan, coordinator of post-mutiny affairs, decided on Monday that a new frontier force would be formed with a new name.

"A seven-member committee headed by the BDR chief will be constituted to implement the decision," Faruq Khan told a news conference.

Can it be safley assumed that under current DG, the reformed BDR will not turn into a Rakkhi Bahini ?

 

[Straight]

Video-audio evidence of BDR carnage found

Footage to help investigation greatly; another FBI team shortly; govt waits for post-mortem on BDR men's death

Investigators of the BDR carnage found audiotapes and footage of the BDR officers' meeting held on February 25 morning at Darbar Hall in Pilkhana and the CCTV footage of arms being looted from the BDR arsenal.

Commerce Minister Faruk Khan, assigned to coordinate the work of probe committees, disclosed it yesterday evening to reporters after holding the third meeting of a probe-coordination committee at the BDR headquarters.

24 hours' Survival Period for his 1st 'happy news' comment is hardly impressive.

 

[Straight]

Within 24 hours, Faruk proved himself wrong. With perpetual notriety ?

The probability of success of an assault was high, with casualties being in the ‘acceptable’ rather than ‘unacceptable’ range. This assessment stems from the mutineers’ poor motivation, unwillingness to die, inferior arms and lack of defensive preparations. These same factors would have prevented riflemen outside Dhaka from rebelling. Even if they had, their scattered location would have meant limited local impact that nearby army units could have contained easily, writes Mumtaz Iqbal

The issue of "TO ASSAULT OR NOT ?" will perhaps reappear in many peoples' mind as soon as the probe report is submitted. It is likely to haunt BAL quite a long-time.

 

[Straight]

Commerce minister Faruk's lies continues and it is unveiled once again.

'No footage of BDR massacre found'
Star Online Report

Investigators did not find any video footage of the last month's massacre by Bangladesh Rifles members at Pilkhana, a senior CID official said today.

.....simply pathetic

 

[BanglaBhoot]

Fresh information coming out

Little militant link found

Staff Correspondent

The submission of report on the Pilkhana massacre by the relevant enquiry committees may be delayed further as the Criminal Investigation Depar-tment (CID) and other intelligence agencies are getting fresh information with every passing day.

Despite one month having elapsed of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) carnage on February 25 that left killed a total of 75 including 57 army officers and seven civilians, no massive progress with regard to facts could be found as the investigation process is not well-organised. Besides, due to inadequate manpower, the overall activities of CID are proceeding very slowly.

Different rumors and information have been telecast and published centering the BDR mutiny but none of the arrestees admitted their involvement in the carnage before the court.

Earlier, Lt Col Faruk Khan (retd), the Minister, who is coordinating the three investigation committees - CID team led by ASP Abdul Kahar Akhanda, the government probe body headed by former bureaucrat Anisuz-zaman and the Army investigation team led by Lieutenant General Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury - told the press that the link of JMB was found in the BDR carnage, but the investigators did not confirm it; rather an intelligence agency said that JMB is under control at this moment.

The chief of the CID Investigation Committee ASP Abdul Kahar Akhanda refused to tell anything about the progress into the investigation only saying, "We are working round the clock to find out the perpetrators of the incidents inside the BDR head office."

Asked about the JMB's link with the carnage, he did not want to tell anything before completing the investigation into the matter.

The investigators discovered as many as 56 crime scenes inside Pilkhana. They identified around eight hundred suspects out of 7,000 BDR members. Of them 591 have been shown arrested in connection with the 33-hour revolt and this list is getting larger day by day, sources said adding that among the arrestees, 90 persons - who were placed on remands - gave their confessional statements before investigators under Section-161 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

The drive of the law enforcers - including Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) - still continues to nab some 1854 BDR jawans, remaining absconding till date, said official sources.

The investigators, including the two foreign investigation teams-Scotland Yard and Federal Bureau of Investiga-tion (FBI) - apprehended that more time would be needed to reach a conclusion in this connection.

Observing the incidents, the FBI team suggested to the CID to appoint 400 members for the smooth conduct of investigation into the BDR carnage. Some 200 police personnel have been requisitioned to assist the CID teams, said an intelligence source.

The foreign investigation teams also termed the incident as a 'deep-rooted' but are yet to find out whether there was any international link in BDR mutiny, according to Home Ministry sources. They, however, failed to identify any militant link in this connection.

Different quarters are also fearing that the actual perpetrators - whether any extremist group or any influential quarters in disguise of the political identity - might go undetected.

The CID investigation team is advancing with some clues including who has supplied the around several hundreds of fast food packets during lunch time and who helped them to escape, who brought out procession favouring the rebel BDR jawans during the 33-hour massacre inside the BDR Headquarters.
The investigators of the BDR carnage found audiotapes and footage of the BDR officers' meeting on February 25 morning at Darbar Hall and the CCTV footage of arms being looted from the BDR arsenal.

Sources informed, at least 750 people were identified in connection with the incident and of them some 250 were held while fleeing on the first day. The suspects BDR Jawans are also showing all these so that they could identify the jawans involved in the carnage.

Commerce Minister Faruk Khan said that the investigators are now working with audiotapes and footage of arsenal looting.

Earlier, the 11-member probe body of the government, scheduled to file the report by March 9, was given four more days on Monday to submit its report. And it was the second time the committee sought time to complete its investigation.

Meanwhile, the law enforcers could not be ***** accurately the arms and ammunitions which were in the armory before the mutiny.

According to sources, there were about seven thousand arms. Of them, the investigators have already completed testing fingerprint and ballistic symptoms of about 2000 arms.

Meanwhile, the Rapid Action Battalion has denied the arrest of 'Leather' Liton, son of detained Torab Ali, in connection with the BDR carnage.

leading news

 

[M_Saint]

Can it be safley assumed that under current DG, the reformed BDR will not turn into a Rakkhi Bahini ?

The way Rawamy Leaguers are snatching top posts, such possibility can't be ruled out. Putting Malu descendent like Madhavi Islam in the chairman post of nuclear facility, making another Malu as VC of DMCH and letting Malu judges to chair BNP's politicians cases are indication that AL wants to stay power for a long time. In that context the rational of the creation of another Rakhi Bahini is perceivable.

 

[M_Saint]

Fresh information coming out

Little militant link found

Justice delayed is synonymous to justice denied. I guess dragging the case and not agreeing on the 'Formation of all party investigative body' by Rawamy Leaguers say it all.

 

[idune]

Pattern of Indo-Awami nexus to watch for is what has been said by Awami ministers in recent days. Since last couple of weeks Awami minister’s systematically and baselessly implicating Bangladesh armed forces and as of late garments industry and domestic investment with militancy. Militancy which predominantly foreign phenomenon and does not match up with Bangladesh socio, economic progression and growth pattern.

Contrary to popular understanding and to surprise, Indo-Awami nexus first baselessly implicated Bangladesh Armed forces, investment and vital industry. Now in coming days expect to see planted evidence of traces of militancy to prove their cooked up militancy allegation and propaganda campaign. More lies and deception to prove propaganda campaign.

But root of these concerted Indo-Awami campaigns are to weaken and diminish elements of Bangladesh sovereignty and independence. If “din bodol” slogan seems more like irrational exuberance now, there is no alternative but resent Indo-Awami scheme. Otherwise, next generation will not see independent Bangladesh as we know and earned it.