<i>In tears, they mourn</i>

High-ranking officers of the army cannot lock their soft inner side yesterday after offering prayers at Banani army graveyard for the colleagues they lost during BDR mutiny a year ago. Photo:Anisur Rahman

Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Rifles and Rapid Action Battalion yesterday observed with a heavy heart the first death anniversary of the martyrs of the Pilkhana carnage.
To mark the day that witnessed massacre of 74 people including 57 army officers by a group of disgruntled BDR personnel, the army and BDR placed floral wreaths at the army graveyard at Banani at 9:00am. They prayed for the departed souls.
Family members of the deceased army officers attended the sedate occasion.
Wreaths were placed on behalf of President Zillur Rahman and Premier Sheikh Hasina.
Assistant Military Secretary to President Lt Col Md Zakir Hossain and Brig Gen Md Salahuddin Miaji represented the president and the premier. Home Minister Sahara Khatun, State Minister for Home Shamsul Haque Tuku and premier's Defence Adviser Maj Gen (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique were also present.
Chief of Army Staff Gen Md Abdul Mubeen, Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral ZU Ahmed, Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal SM Ziaur Rahman and BDR Director General Maj Gen Md Mainul Islam paid tribute to the memories of the martyrs.
The participants at the ceremony stood in silence for a minute, after the army paid state honour to the martyrs with salutes.
The family members and relatives of the departed officers paid homage by placing floral wreaths at the graves.
Later, Rab Chief Hassan Mahmood Khandker along with other Rab officials paid tribute to the dead at the Banani graveyard.
The army arranged Quran khatam, milad mahfil and special prayers at the central mosques of all cantonments including the Sena Central Mosque at Dhaka Cantonment.
The BDR also made similar arrangements at its central mosques at Pilkhana headquarters, and all other units and sectors. Milads were held in three educational institutes inside the BDR headquarters.
The home minister, Home Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder, the BDR chief and other officials of the border force attended the milad and prayers at the Pilkhana central mosque.
Sahara said justice would be upheld through trial of both the mutineers and the killers.
"The trial proceedings are already underway. The charge sheet of the murder case will be submitted shortly and then the trial will begin… soon," she told reporters after a milad mahfil at Pilkhana marking the one-year anniversary of the carnage.
The minister said the massacre of army officers is the most heinous of acts in the history of mankind, and the damage it caused cannot be compensated.
Forty-eight army officers were laid to rest at the Banani army graveyard and nine others at their village homes.