<i>Satkania camp feels the jolt the next day</i>
Newly recruited members of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) rampaged through Baitul Ijjat Rifles Training School (RTS), the only training centre of BDR, at Satkania in Chittagong on February 26, the day after the mutiny.
The journalists who went there with the investigation committee headed by an army officer on Tuesday saw signs of destruction let loose by the unruly jawans on 177-acre RTS area.
Earlier on February 27, a group of journalists went there but they were not allowed to go round different areas of RTS.
Armed BDR members on February 26 broke open armouries and came out with heavy weapons, the journalists were told during their visit to the RTS. BDR took out ammunitions after breaking open five rooms of the two ammunition godowns.
The jawans burnt a car of Dr Mamun and sprayed with bullets personal cars of two other army officers.
The mutineers also shot around 30 rounds of bullets at the residence of RTS Commandant Col Nafis on the compound, broke open the doors, ransacked the house and looted valuables including gold ornaments. Col Nafis was killed in BDR headquarters in Dhaka. His family members were out on holiday.
Members of Armed Police Battalion (APBN) are now guarding the armoury and two buildings for keeping ammunition.
Some non-commissioned BDR officers and jawans said the situation at RTS was completely under control on February 25, when BDR members started an armed mutiny at their Pilkhana headquarters in the capital.
But following rumour of army heading towards the training centre the next morning, the newly recruited BDR members took control of the RTS and rampaged through the area.
The authorities are now making a list of the looted arms and ammunition.
Five newly recruited BDR members went missing after the February 26 incident. Two of them, Belal Hossain and Shahadat Hossain, who returned on March 2, claimed themselves as innocent.
Acting chief of the RTS BDR Assistant Director M Harun, however, said the two did not join duty on time and they along with some other newly recruited BDR members have been arrested on suspicion of their involvement in subversive activities.
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