Verdict and sentences have now been issued in the BDR mutiny case for the killings of 74 people including 57 senior Bangladesh Army officers at Peelkhana in 2009.
Out of the 846 accused for this carnage, mostly belonging to the BDR, 152 have been given death sentences and 277 have been acquitted. Among those receiving life sentences are two politicians, one BNP and another Awami League.
Since the mid seventies, when politics was darkened by coups and intra-armed forces violence common, the country has been spared incidents of this type and this is why the mutiny in 2009 was so shocking.
While one chapter has now closed for families, questions remain. The judicial process has not provided a detailed explanation of how and why an incident of such magnitude came into being. It is next to impossible that two district level politicians could have instigated such an event alone.
The judgment acknowledged issues that led to the uprising and massacre, including intelligence failures, discontent over disparate treatment between members of different armed forces, and disputes over involvement in commercial activities along the border. However, it remains doubtful that this is the entire story.
We believe that an independent judicial commission is necessary to investigate the matter and address these issues properly. The findings of such an inquiry have to be made public.
We must make sure that lessons have been learned and acted upon. The country cannot afford a repeat of similar incidents.
