For the first time in six years, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday took salute at the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) parade at its Pilkhana headquarters and attended assembly at the Darbar Hall, where the 2009 mutiny had broken out.
Amid tight security, the premier attended the parade of the uniformed forces and took salute marking the BGB Day 2014. She later attended the Darbar, spoke to the BGB men and heard their demands.
Mutineers of the erstwhile Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) killed 74 people including 57 army officers and their family members during the carnage on February 25-26. The incident created a stir even in the international arena. Following the incident, trials against the accused were held under the force’s mutiny laws and the Criminal Code.
Hasina attended the parade on February 24, a day before the mutiny.
The Bangladesh Rifles was later renamed Border Guard Bangladesh while changes were made in their uniform and their facilities increased. The number of personnel has now increased to around 50,000 in the paramilitary force from 38,000 before the mutiny.
Since the incident, described by many as a massacre, the premier has not attended any parade but she did join the flag raising ceremony of the newly-formed regions and battalions in 2012. On that occasion, she also attended a darbar [assembly] but it was not arranged at the Darbar Hall.
“After the 2009 incident, the force has been reformed in the shortest possible time. The offenders have been brought to justice and punished. Your adherence and fidelity as BGB members is now beyond question. As a reformed force, BGB has been functioning with goodwill,” Hasina told the attendees at the Darbar Hall yesterday.
She said: “Do not do anything that might spoil the goodwill and image of the force and the country any more.” Respect and trust among the officers and members would strengthen the force further, she said.
Mentioning the current government as “pro-people,” the premier said: “Do not hesitate to share if there is any problem, anywhere. Speak up with an open mind. We do not want the heart-rending incident of 2009 to revisit us.”
Later she answered to some demands including sending BGB men to UN peacekeeping missions and receiving two months’ advance salary while enjoying earned leave. BGB chief Maj Gen Aziz Ahmed also spoke.
Earlier in the morning, the BGB chief and State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan welcomed the premier at Bir Uttam Anwar Hossain Parade Ground.
Speaking to the parade and guests, Hasina described the measures her government had taken to rebuild and modernise the force.
She mentioned the enactment of the Boarder Guard Bangladesh Act 2010, decentralisation of its command by setting up four new sectors and four regional headquarters under a new organisational structure with a view to making it more effective and dynamic.
She spoke about the construction of a proposed 935km road along the Bangladesh-India border and a 285km road along the border with Myanmar to strengthen the BGB’s monitoring of the land boundary.
The premier in her speech also described various steps taken for the welfare and development of the force and its members.
She stated that BGB’s intelligence wing had been strengthened, family members given 100% ration and medical facilities while the status of junior officers upgraded to second class.
“We will do everything to develop your living standard,” the premier said.
Lauding the role of BGB in protecting the country’s frontiers, Hasina hoped that the force would continue its effort to curb the smuggling of goods including drugs and human trafficking.
She thanked BGB members for assisting the civil administration in tackling natural disasters, accidents and emergency situations.
The premier said BGB had played a key role in decreasing the number of border killings in recent times.
Hasina appreciated BGB’s brave role during the January 5 election when its members had acted against the “evil plot of BNP-Jamaat-Shibir to create anarchy in the country” and in reconstructing the houses, shops and religious establishments demolished by the BNP-Jamaat-Shibir men at that time.
She recalled the sacrifice of a BGB naik subedar and two sepoys while performing their duties.
Mentioning the glorious history of the force, she said: “In 1971, the then EPR wireless operators sent Bangabandhu’s proclamation of independence across the country from here. For this, the Pakistani Army killed Maj Showkat Ali and three others.”
Hasina termed Bir Sreshtha Lance Naik Noor Mohammad and Bir Sreshtha Lance Naik Munshi Abdur Rauf the “symbols of heroes.” She also recalled members of the force who had been given gallantry awards – eight Bir Uttam, 32 Bir Bikram and 77 Bir Pratik.
During the ceremony, the premier handed over President Border Guard Padak 2014 to 10 BGB members, Border Guard Bangladesh Padak 2014 to 20, and President Border Guard (Sheba) Padak 2014 to 10 and Border Guard Bangladesh (Sheba) Padak 2014 to 20 BGB members for their contributions.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune last evening, the BGB chief said: “After the carnage and the trials, the BGB had a manpower shortage. Now we have overcome it.”
BDR had more than 38,000 members before the mutiny and after the trial, the number decreased to around 32,000, he added.
The BGB chief termed the presence of the prime minister an incident of pride for the paramilitary force. “We could not invite her in the past years as the force was going through reformation. We could not even hold the Darbar and the parade regularly.”
The trials
Cases were filed over three types of offences – mutiny, carnage and use of explosives. BDR courts at different battalions conducted the mutiny cases and handed down verdicts.
In the carnage case – involving killings, loot and arson attacks, a total of 846 people were tried out of 850 accused. Four of the accused died in jail during the trial. Of the 846 accused, 778 were former BDR personnel and 23 were civilians.
A special tribunal conducted the carnage case and sentenced to death 151 former BDR personnel and one civilian for the killings. The court also awarded life-term jail sentences to 161 accused including former BNP lawmaker Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu and ward-level Awami League leader Torab Ali for their involvement in inciting and conspiring in the mutiny.
The other case filed over the use of explosives during the incident is currently under trial.
The Darbar Hall massacre
According to the carnage case, then sepoy Moin of the erstwhile 13 Rifles Battalion entered the Darbar Hall with arms at 9:25am on February 25 when around 2,500 members were present. The main target of the mutiny was to kill then BDR chief Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed and other army officers deputed to the force.
A voice screamed: “Jago” [wake up]. Maj Gen Shakil then pleaded with the troops to calm down. He said he would listen to their demands and asked them not leave the Darbar Hall. Disobeying the orders, the agitating jawans opened fire killing some officers inside the hall. They asked others including Shakil to go outside in queue and killed them.
The mutineers also ransacked and looted the officers’ houses and set fire to vehicles.
