BDR jawans attend the special Darbar at Pilkhana BDR headquarters in the capital yesterday.Photo: STAR

Director General of Bangladesh Rifles Maj Gen Md Mainul Islam has expressed the hope that the border guards will emerge as a disciplined force in a year through necessary reforms.
"There is no alternative to making our force a disciplined one," he emphasised yesterday while addressing 850 officers and soldiers at a Special Darbar on the occasion of BDR Week 2010.
The DG said he was taken by surprise at evidence of indiscipline among some soldiers even after the bloody mutiny on February 25-26 last year.
"No unethical activities will be allowed," he said citing an example of gambling by the soldiers.
"If anyone does any unethical deed, they would not only go home [after losing job] but also land in jail," Gen Mainul warned the solders at the Darbar arranged in participation of fewer soldiers compared to traditional Darbar in BDR weeks.
"We have to take a fresh oath which will be 'Amra notun, amra ek, amra boliyan' [we are new, we are united, we are strong]," he told the Darbar at Pilkhana Headquarters in the capital.
Since the mutiny, BDR has regained people's confidence, which is the main achievement of the force, he observed.
The paramilitary force arranged a seven-day colourful and gorgeous programme on the occasion of BDR week in February last year. Like the previous years, the Pilkhana HQ wore a festive mood and was decorated with colourful flags and lights. The prime minster, ministers, different dignitary guests and diplomats were invited at different programmes including the BDR parade last year.
Unlike its longstanding tradition, this year the BDR made very simple arrangements for one day with only a few lanes near the place of Darbar decorated by colourful flags.
No parade, no party, no cultural programmes were arranged. Only the Darbar was the big event of the week. Special food items were served at soldiers' mess and special prayers were held at the BDR hostels in the evening.
The Darbar was not held at BDR Darbar Hall as a special court has been set up there to try the accused mutineers.
Besides soldiers, all civil and military officers of BDR, including JCOs and NCOs in Pilkhana, were present at the special Darbar that started around 11:00am at a multipurpose shed, which is used for indoor games.
Last year, some 2,500 BDR personnel were present at the Darbar of Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed, who was brutally killed among 57 army officers during the 33-hour-long mutiny.
"That day the soldiers left the Darbar Hall with the slogan 'Jago'," the BDR chief said, adding, if the soldiers would not leave the hall, it was not possible for any force to commit such heinous killings.
"The heinous killings and mutiny have belittled us before the nation," he added.
"We are observing a curtailed week this year showing respect to the martyrs killed during the Pilkhana mutiny and hatred towards those who committed the crime."
He also expressed gratitude to the prime minister for tackling the mutiny and violence in a democratic way.
Though many people think BDR is weak on the border, it is not so at all, he said.
The DG said the Indian Border Security Force has more outposts in short distance than BDR, adding that Bangladesh would also increase its outposts and reduce system loss.
Work is underway to set up 90 new outposts, he informed.
Gen Mainul expressed satisfaction as the BDR men from Dhaka and elsewhere are coming forward to give witnesses' deposition in the mutiny cases.
He however expressed frustration, as a large number of arms of the paramilitary force remain seized since the mutiny. If the arms are not in good shape, the force will have to buy new ones at a cost of huge sums of money.
The BDR officers and personnel, who performed exceptionally well in 2009, received awards on the occasion that concluded at 12:20pm.
However, some of the operations were suspended since the mutiny and prizes on those sections also remained suspended.
At the beginning of yesterday's Darbar, Gen Mainul delivered an inaugural speech to the soldiers in presence of journalists. He later exclusively spoke to the soldiers after the prize giving ceremony where journalists were not allowed to be present.
This was the second Darbar being held there after the mutiny. The first one was held on August 17 last year.