CaPtAiN_pLaNeT
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- May 10, 2010
- Messages
- 7,685
- Reaction score
- 0
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Front Page
BDR high-ups informed of pre-mutiny leaflets
Witness tells court in 2009 carnage trial
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=211378
Maj RezaulMahbubur Rahman Khan
Days before the BDR carnage, the security unit of Bangladesh Rifles had informed BDR high officials about jawans distributing leaflets slandering the paramilitary chief. But the authorities decided merely to keep an eye on those jawans.
Maj Rezaul Mostafa Mohammad Asadullah, who was at the time working at the western desk of Rifles Security Unit, said this in court yesterday while being cross-examined by defence lawyers in the BDR carnage trial.
The mutineers distributed leaflets at the BDR headquarters in Pilkhana four days before the carnage, which took the lives of 74 people, including 57 army officers, on February 25-26, 2009.
The leaflets cast aspersions on the then BDR director general Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed, his wife and Col Mujib and accused army officers of misappropriating money earned through Operation Daal-Bhaat, launched to sell daily essentials among people at fair prices.
“After talking to Major Shahnewaz, I learnt that Sepoy Maeen of 13 Rifle Battalion, Sepoy Selim Reza of 44 Rifle Battalion and Lance Nayek Akram of 24 Rifle Battalion were involved in the propagation of the leaflets,” Maj Rezaul said.
“The CO (commanding officer) directed that counter leaflets be prepared within a day after receiving a phone call from the DG,” he said, adding that the new leaflets were supposed to highlight the facilities provided by BDR for soldiers and their families, appreciation of their work in the Operation Daal-Bhaat programme and ensuring quota for their children in educational institutes.
But the DG later scrapped the plan for counter leaflets. “The CO told me that he had talked to the DG. According to him, measures would be taken and there was no need to make counter leaflets. The DG would talk about the matter and take necessary steps during the Darbar,” Maj Rezaul told the court in his deposition.
Advocate Faruque Ahamad asked the witness whether his client, sepoy Selim Reza, was kept under watch after the leaflet distribution. “Yes, he was,” the major replied.
When the witness was asked whether any action was taken by BDR against Selim Reza after his involvement in the leaflet distribution was discovered, the major said no action was taken against him.
“Since the leaflets were found on February 21, did the BDR send any message to the home ministry on the matter?” lawyer Faruque asked the major to which the latter responded, “That would not be known by me.”
Defence lawyer Aminul Islam asked the witness if two rival groups of army officers had emerged centering on the issue “corruption”. The major replied, “It's not true.”
Quoting news items run by three national dailies, lawyer Aminul said a few days before the carnage one Major Mahbub was caught at the then Zia International Airport trying to launder Tk 800 crore of the late BDR DG and his wife.
Maj Rezaul corrected the lawyer saying, “There was a rumour of Tk 600 crore, not 800 crore.”
The incident of money laundering triggered rivalry between the BDR DG and the former army chief and the BDR mutiny was the outcome of that rivalry, stated the defence lawyer.
It is not true, the witness replied.
As defence lawyer Shameem Sardar was cross-examining the witness, the judge told him to ask relevant questions. But the counsel continued with his irrelevant questions, which triggered an argument between Shameem and a prosecutor.
The judge then told Shameem not to waste the court's time, reminding him that the system was paid for by tax payers.
Maj Rezaul managed to escape from Pilkhana on the morning of February 25 while his wife and ailing father were still inside the BDR headquarters. His wife and father had taken shelter in Major Khaleq's flat.
The court fixed November 30 for a resumption of the cross-examination of the major.
Front Page
BDR high-ups informed of pre-mutiny leaflets
Witness tells court in 2009 carnage trial
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=211378
Maj RezaulMahbubur Rahman Khan
Days before the BDR carnage, the security unit of Bangladesh Rifles had informed BDR high officials about jawans distributing leaflets slandering the paramilitary chief. But the authorities decided merely to keep an eye on those jawans.
Maj Rezaul Mostafa Mohammad Asadullah, who was at the time working at the western desk of Rifles Security Unit, said this in court yesterday while being cross-examined by defence lawyers in the BDR carnage trial.
The mutineers distributed leaflets at the BDR headquarters in Pilkhana four days before the carnage, which took the lives of 74 people, including 57 army officers, on February 25-26, 2009.
The leaflets cast aspersions on the then BDR director general Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed, his wife and Col Mujib and accused army officers of misappropriating money earned through Operation Daal-Bhaat, launched to sell daily essentials among people at fair prices.
“After talking to Major Shahnewaz, I learnt that Sepoy Maeen of 13 Rifle Battalion, Sepoy Selim Reza of 44 Rifle Battalion and Lance Nayek Akram of 24 Rifle Battalion were involved in the propagation of the leaflets,” Maj Rezaul said.
“The CO (commanding officer) directed that counter leaflets be prepared within a day after receiving a phone call from the DG,” he said, adding that the new leaflets were supposed to highlight the facilities provided by BDR for soldiers and their families, appreciation of their work in the Operation Daal-Bhaat programme and ensuring quota for their children in educational institutes.
But the DG later scrapped the plan for counter leaflets. “The CO told me that he had talked to the DG. According to him, measures would be taken and there was no need to make counter leaflets. The DG would talk about the matter and take necessary steps during the Darbar,” Maj Rezaul told the court in his deposition.
Advocate Faruque Ahamad asked the witness whether his client, sepoy Selim Reza, was kept under watch after the leaflet distribution. “Yes, he was,” the major replied.
When the witness was asked whether any action was taken by BDR against Selim Reza after his involvement in the leaflet distribution was discovered, the major said no action was taken against him.
“Since the leaflets were found on February 21, did the BDR send any message to the home ministry on the matter?” lawyer Faruque asked the major to which the latter responded, “That would not be known by me.”
Defence lawyer Aminul Islam asked the witness if two rival groups of army officers had emerged centering on the issue “corruption”. The major replied, “It's not true.”
Quoting news items run by three national dailies, lawyer Aminul said a few days before the carnage one Major Mahbub was caught at the then Zia International Airport trying to launder Tk 800 crore of the late BDR DG and his wife.
Maj Rezaul corrected the lawyer saying, “There was a rumour of Tk 600 crore, not 800 crore.”
The incident of money laundering triggered rivalry between the BDR DG and the former army chief and the BDR mutiny was the outcome of that rivalry, stated the defence lawyer.
It is not true, the witness replied.
As defence lawyer Shameem Sardar was cross-examining the witness, the judge told him to ask relevant questions. But the counsel continued with his irrelevant questions, which triggered an argument between Shameem and a prosecutor.
The judge then told Shameem not to waste the court's time, reminding him that the system was paid for by tax payers.
Maj Rezaul managed to escape from Pilkhana on the morning of February 25 while his wife and ailing father were still inside the BDR headquarters. His wife and father had taken shelter in Major Khaleq's flat.
The court fixed November 30 for a resumption of the cross-examination of the major.
