Govt challenges acquittal of 69 BDR men
The government has appealed to the High Court challenging the acquittal of 69 members of erstwhile Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) in a case filed for the massacre at Pilkhana headquarters in 2009.
In the appeal submitted today, the government appealed the High Court to punish the BDR men saying that it has found evidence of their involvement in the carnage.
The 69 accused are among the 277 who were acquitted of the charges by a lower court last year.
The Third Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court in Dhaka on November 5 awarded death penalty to 150 BDR members for their role in the massacre of 74 people, including 57 army officers, at the BDR Pilkhana headquarters on February 25-26, 2009.
It also sentenced 161 others, including ex-BNP lawmaker Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu and ward-level Awami League leader Torab Ali, to life imprisonment for involvement in the carnage.
While placing the appeal, the government said it has found the evidence against the 69 accused after examining the case documents, Deputy Attorney General Forhad Ahmed told The Daily Star.
The government will not file any appeal against the rest acquitted persons as it did not find any evidence of their involvement with the incident, he added.
The HC will hear the appeal during the hearing of other petitions related to the lower court verdict.
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