Mutineers to face death penalty

The Jatiya Sangsad yesterday passed the Border Guard Bangladesh bill with the provision of death penalty for offences like mutiny, killing and arson within the paramilitary force.
The government has moved to enact the law repealing the existing one to restructure the Bangladesh Rifles in the wake of the heinous killings of army officers at the Pilkhana headquarters in February last year.
The new law will take effect after the president consents to the bill, and the force will be renamed the Border Guard Bangladesh. Under the law, some stringent rules and provisions will be followed in the operation of the security force.
The existing law allows the BDR authorities to jail any soldier for a maximum of seven years for his involvement in mutiny. The force is currently trying the suspects of last year's BDR mutiny in the special courts while the trial of killing, looting, arson, and other grievous offences will be held in the civil courts.
The unprecedented mutiny broke out when army officers refused to fulfil the demands made by BDR jawans at their yearly Darbar (assembly). The mutiny left 74 people including 57 army officers killed.
Amid absence of the BNP-led opposition lawmakers, Home Minister Sahara Khatun yesterday proposed the passage of the bill with provisions for the reformation of the border force, its control, administration and discipline.
The provision dealing with mutiny says if two or more members jointly disobey a legal order of the authorities of the border force, armed forces or auxiliary forces, or challenge and resist them, the members will be charged with mutiny.
Besides, expressing anger to the authorities or making attempts to do so is considered mutiny in the provision, and the maximum punishment for such action would be death penalty.
The bill also kept the post of director general of the force reserved for the army and other posts will be given to armed forces' commissioned officers on deputation or to the force's junior officers by promoting them. The director general will command, administer and control the force in accordance with the law.
The bill also suggests that during war the border force will be placed under the control of the defence ministry and will discharge duties assigned by the ministry.
The bill has provision for formation of a reserved force consisted of retired junior officers and border guard men. The reserve force members will have to assist the regular force when asked to do so.
Upon government approval, the director general may appoint reserve force members as junior officers and rank-holder border guard members for a certain period due to shortage of manpower in the force.
Meanwhile, the House also passed another bill amending the electoral rolls law for registration of emigrant Bangladesh citizens in the voter list.