Dismissed members of the former Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) blocked the Shahbagh intersection in the capital on Monday, demanding reinstatement in service along with two other demands.
Although they initially announced a “Long March to Jamuna” program, the protesters gathered at Shahbagh around noon and began chanting slogans. When police intervened, they stayed put at the intersection, disrupting traffic movement in the area.
Earlier, the protesters had brought out a procession from the Central Shaheed Minar.
The march passed through the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) of Dhaka University before converging at Shahbagh. Police attempted to block them, but the demonstrators broke through the barricades and staged their sit-in.
Their demands are as follows:
All dismissed and affected BDR members, including those from the 76th batch, must be reinstated through special courts in all BDR units, including Pilkhana, and through summary courts conducted by the director general and commanding officers. In addition, full compensation and all state benefits must be ensured.
The conditional inquiry commission formed over the Pilkhana massacre must be turned into a fully independent investigative commission. All obstacles preventing the full implementation of the commission’s mandate—particularly the term “except” in the gazette and sub-section (nga) under clause 2—must be revoked. The commission must identify the real perpetrators through an impartial investigation and ensure exemplary punishment. Moreover, innocent BDR members who have been imprisoned for nearly 16 years based on false testimony must be released immediately.
All patriotic and upright army officers who were unjustly dismissed or affected as part of the 2009 Pilkhana conspiracy must be rehabilitated. Furthermore, the historic name “Bangladesh Rifles” or “BDR”—the vigilant sentinels of the nation’s borders—must be reinstated.