BDR mutiny over as tanks roll in
After two days of high drama, the mutiny staged by a group of low-ranking personnel of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) ended yesterday evening without any military confrontation even though the army was well prepared to launch a crackdown with tanks, armoured personnel carriers (APCs) and commandos.
As of last night,
bodies of eight senior army officers of BDR including a brigadier general, one BDR Subeder and three civilians were recovered.
Bodies of all army officers were recovered from the sewage in the BDR Pilkhana headquarters. Most of the mutineers had fled the headquarters by the evening.
Till filing of this report, no one could trace the Director General of BDR Shakil Ahmed, his wife and around 50 or more officers who were taken hostage by the mutineers Wednesday morning.
Some army sources said the number of missing army officers could exceed 100. Other sources said the mutineers killed and dumped 30 to 40 army officers in a place inside Pilkhana and covered the place with bricks. They tossed the others into the sewage, they claimed. None of the information could be verified.
Meanwhile, through non-stop negotiations since Wednesday, spearheaded by Home Minister Sahara Khatun, the government rescued a total of 29 army officers--two colonels, five lieutenant colonels, 21 majors and one captain.
The traumatic ordeal of more than 100 family members of BDR officers and jawans also ended yesterday. They came out with tears in their eyes.
As mutineers surrendered their arms, police and the Armed Police Battalion took control of the BDR headquarters and its armoury in the evening. The army with around 20 tanks and APCs were positioned on Satmasjid Road near the Abahani ground.
Thousands of people waited with the army, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) personnel and the police on adjacent streets to see the end of the mutiny.
As police took control of the area, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Naim Ahmed entered the BDR headquarter compound around 7:00pm. The power connection to the BDR headquarters was snapped at that time.
"We have not launched any rescue operation yet," he told The Daily Star, adding,
"We will be able to know after conducting a search. For now, we have taken charge of the Pilkhana headquarters and the armoury."
Sources said the fire department and Rab would launch the search and rescue operation in Pilkhana around midnight.
Earlier when the army was preparing for action, the government was rescuing hostage army officers and family members of officers and jawans.
As the mutineers continued firing bullets throughout Wednesday night and Thursday morning, despite the prime minister's announcement of their amnesty in exchange for surrender, the army began preparing for action.
Around 2:00pm, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a speech addressed to the nation urged the mutineers to immediately surrender and return to their barracks so that she is not compelled to make a difficult decision in the interest of the nation.
Following her speech, around two dozen APCs and tanks from the Army's Ninth Division in Savar and the 46 Brigade in Dhaka Cantonment were deployed in Dhanmondi area in the evening. Prior to this, army personnel created a camp inside the Abahani ground and deployed forces around it. Army commandos were also there.
Thousands of curious people, sometimes cheerful, gathered in the area where the army was deployed.
Apparently more than a thousand army personnel were deployed there. However, the number could not be confirmed.
They did not need to launch the operation as the arrival of the tanks made the mutineers hoist a white flag on the main gate of BDR headquarters and flee through Azimpur and Hazaribagh gates of the compound.
While escaping Pilkhana through the Hazaribagh gate, 42 mutineers were arrested by Rab-10 in the afternoon.
Commanding Officer (CO) of Rab-10 SM Kamal Hossain told The Daily Star,
"When they were escaping through the embankment wearing lungis [traditional skirts for men] and other casual wears, our team captured them. They are now under our custody."
Meanwhile, DMP Commissioner Naim Ahmed said the police found about 100 BDR mutineers inside Pilkhana and they were in custody of the police.
During the day, deep tension gripped the country as reports of rebellious behaviour of BDR jawans started pouring in from Dinajpur, Chapainawabganj, Naogaon, Rajshahi, Bogra, Lalmonirhat, Rangpur, Kushtia, Thakurgaon, Kanaighat of Sylhet, Khagrachhari, Bandarban, Jessore, Satkhira and other places.
In many places, BDR jawans left their stations while others fired shots in the air throughout the day. There were, however, no reports of casualties.
With innumerable rumours spreading through telephones, many were unsure of how the mutiny was going to end.
While the army was preparing for a crackdown on mutineers, the security level of the prime minister was increased.
The Daily Star - Details News
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The son-in-law of our Inspector General of Police was probably also killed.His daughter was married to him only 2 months ago.
Director General of BDR and his wife are both Dead,according to TV media.