Charges against 50 accused read out
Havildar Tariqul Islam in collaboration with two other soldiers of BDR Sadar Rifle Battalion had beaten Major Mostafa Asaduzzaman brutally with belts in front of the flag pole during the mutiny at Pilkhana.
Nayek Shahjahan of the same battalion tortured Major Shahnewaz inhumanly after tying him up to a coconut tree.
The two army officers were later murdered, said Lt Col Abu Masud, the prosecutor of a BDR mutiny case, yesterday in his statement.
He said this as the special court-9, set up to try the mutineers of Sadar Rifle Battalion, carried out its proceeding for the third day at the Darbar Hall in Pilkhana.
“Major Mostafa Asaduzzaman, who was attached to Sadar Rifle Battalion, ran away from the Darbar Hall and went to his battalion assuming that jawans of his own battalion would protect him.
“But, regrettably, none came to his aid even after hearing his cry,” the prosecutor said adding, Major Mostafa rushed to the office of commanding officer where he was murdered after brutal torture.
Lt Col Abu Masud also mentioned how another army officer Major Iqbal saved his life.
“Mutineers opened fire on Major Iqbal and other army officers. Fortunately, Iqbal did not receive any bullet. He managed to hide himself till the evening lying amid other slain officers.
“Iqbal left the place just before the mutineers started hiding bodies, and thus he saved his life”, Masud said.
The court, headed by Border Guard Bangladesh Dhaka Sector Commander Col Habibul Karim, later read out group and individual charges against the accused.
Earlier, the prosecutor described charges against the accused and appealed for framing charges considering allegations against the 735 mutineers of the Sadar Rifle Battalion.
The court read out individual charges against 50 accused out of 735.
The allegations include leaving Darbar Hall defying the orders of the then director general, failing to control subordinates, refraining from providing information about the mutiny to the higher authority, doing nothing to prevent mutiny, taking firearms and ammunition from the cote and taking part in the mutiny actively.
Prosecutor Masud later at a press briefing told reporters that four soldiers of the battalion were engaged to guard the residence of the then DG. They were provided with SMG and 600 bullets.
“If they had taken action when the mutineers tried to enter the DG's house, family members of DG might be saved”, he said.
Among the 735 accused, Criminal Investigations Department pressed charge-sheet against 85.
A total of 141 witnesses are supposed to give depositions against the accused, Masud said.
The court was adjourned till 9:00am on March 6.
A total of 74 people, including the then BDR DG and 56 other army officers, were massacred at Pilkhana and a mutiny spread from the headquarters to other units across the country in February 25-26, 2009.
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