The national probe committee on BDR mutiny did not find any militant, political or foreign links to the carnage at Pilkhana headquarters.
"BDR jawans committed the murders on their own. Our investigation did not find any involvement of outsiders--political leaders, militants or foreign forces," a member of the government probe body told The Daily Star yesterday evening, requesting not to be named.
According to the inquiry report submitted to Home Minister Sahara Khatun yesterday, the BDR rank and file already had grievances pent up for years. Their resentment over 'Operation Dal-Bhat' made matters even worse, and it all boiled over into an orgy of killing on February 25-26.
It also says the mutiny was continuation of the revolts in 1973 and 1991 over leadership in the border force, added the probe body member.
Some sources close to the committee said several jawans had claimed the mutiny was part of their movement against “discriminations by the army officers deputed to BDR”. They would call it “a mission to oust the foreign birds from BDR”.
The killings were not part of their original plans. Still, they took place as some of the mutineers went beyond the control of the leaders, the sources continued.
In its report, the committee recommends that those responsible be tried under the military act for speedy trial. It also suggests that BDR personnel should not be engaged in programmes like 'Operation Dal-Bhat', which was introduced to contain price hike of essentials during the caretaker government rule.
It advises further inquiry into the claims of foreign links.
Earlier at around 4:00pm, the 12-member inquiry committee headed by former secretary Anisuzzaman Khan turned in the 309-page report at the home minister's office in the secretariat.
State Minister for Home Tanjim Ahmad Sohel Taj, Home Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder, and members of the probe committee were present.
"We have prepared the report on the basis of facts and realities. There is nothing speculative," Anisuzzaman told reporters afterwards.
Asked what the main reason behind the bloodbath was, he said, “Mutiny.”
Declining to elaborate, he said they were assigned to probe the incident and now it is the government's duty to evaluate the findings.
Sahara Khatun said the government would soon publish the report.
"We are committed to making the findings public," she said seeking the media's help to ensure the culprits are brought to book.
Pressed further, she said, “We have yet to read it. We will let you know the findings soon."
Sahara said she hopes the report would come in handy for the agency tasked with investigating the case in connection with the carnage that left 74 people including 57 army officers dead.
The committee was formed on February 26 to be headed by the home minister. But in response to criticism over her inclusion, it was reconstituted on March 2 with the retired civil servant at the helm.
Its members include former and serving bureaucrats and high-ranking officers from the armed forces.
The committee began work the day after its reconstitution. It had several extensions before its time limit for submitting report expired on May 11.
The deadline, which was to end on March 9, was extended by seven workdays first.
Then on March 23, the committee got another four days. And finally on March 30, it was granted 30 more workdays in the interests of a proper investigation.
Besides making the recommendations, the committee outlined probable reasons for the mutiny and steps to prevent repeat in future.
Earlier, Commerce Minister Faruk Khan had said the banned Islamist outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) had a hand in the Pilkhana massacre.
DAD TOWHID REMANDED
Meanwhile, a Dhaka court yesterday placed Deputy Assistant Director (DAD) of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) Syed Towhidul Alam on a seven-day remand in an arms case filed with Sabujbagh Police Station.
The case was filed last month after a revolver and some ammunition were recovered from BDR jawan Raju who told the law enforcers that DAD Towhid had given him the arms and ammo.
Earlier, Towhid was remanded for 15 days at different times in the mutiny case. As per the law, an accused cannot be taken on remand for over 15 days in a single case.
In another development, three BDR jawans yesterday made statements confessing their role in the carnage.
A correspondent from Jessore adds: The Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court here yesterday sent 43 BDR men to jail.
The border guards were arrested on May 15 at Jhumjhumpur BDR camp and 22 rifles battalion headquarters on sedition charges.