Members of the families of former Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) personnel who have been victims of incarceration have demanded the renaming of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) back to its former name, BDR, and justice for the 2009 Pilkhana tragedy.
They voiced this and seven other demands during a press conference at the National Press Club on Friday.
In 2009, 74 people, including 57 army officers, BDR personnel and civilians, were martyred in the Pilkhana carnage.
Describing the incident as a planned murder, Abdullah Al Mamun, who read out a statement, said the killings need to be re-investigated.
“The culprits must be brought to justice quickly. We want a proper investigation commission to be formed to investigate the incident. The people of the country will know what really happened on that day.
"First of all, all the innocent BDR personnel who were imprisoned for 16 years should be released from jail, the main planners and killers should be found out through an independent inquiry commission and exemplary punishment should be given through the law," he added.
At the press conference, he mentioned the following eight demands:
- All politically motivated cases and verdicts over the carnage under Sheikh Hasina's autocratic rule must be annulled.
- All innocent BDR personnel imprisoned for the past 16 years should be released unconditionally.
- A reinvestigation of the incident should be initiated promptly, as per a High Court directive.
- The causes of deaths of innocent BDR personnel during remand torture must be thoroughly investigated, and the perpetrators should be punished.
- All BDR personnel must be reinstated in their jobs.
- Adequate compensation (including salaries, allowances and pensions) and rehabilitation must be ensured for all families of army and BDR martyrs, as well as affected BDR personnel.
- The historic name "Bangladesh Rifles" should be restored.
- February 25 and 26 should be declared "Martyrs' Day" to honour the fallen army personnel.
Other speakers at the press conference included Faizul Alam, president of the BDR Welfare Council and a former BDR member; Advocate Abdul Aziz, son of a BDR man killed during imprisonment; and Rezaul Karim, organisational Secretary of the BDR Welfare Council and a convicted BDR member.
