86 indicted in Peelkhana trial
A special court accepted charges against 86 BDR personnel as the Peellkhana mutiny trial began at Durbar Hall on Tuesday, almost a year to the day since border guards took up arms against their officers, killing scores and holding their families hostage, reports bdnews24.com.
The special court began proceedings at noon, at the very site of the bloody uprising on Feb 25 last year, amid tight security in and around the sprawling Pilkhana compound.
Plaintiff in the case Subedar Major Shah Alam read out the charges, including participating in the mutiny, not resisting other mutineers, and not informing the higher authorities of the mutiny.
BDR director general Maj Gen Mainul Islam presided over the Special Court-5, set up under the Bangladesh Rifles Order-1972. Two other senior officers - Lt Col Golam Rabbani and Maj Sayeed Hasan Tapash - were also on the judges'' panel.
The plaintiff said 40 of the accused aimed guns at their officers on the first day of the two-day mutiny while the other accused did not try to stop them.
The court took cognizance of the charges.
Lawyer Mohammad Kislu, a representative nominated by the attorney general, remained present to give the court legal assistance. Four others - Mosharraf Hossain Kajal, Sheikh Baharul Islam, Manjur Alam Manju and Mohammad Shahnaj Tipu - were present as special prosecutors.
"Charges will be brought against the accused today. The charges include mutiny, holding back from resisting the mutineers and not informing higher authorities of the mutiny," Shahnaj Tipu told reporters before beginning of the proceedings on Tuesday.
Manjur said 65 of the 86 accused in the case had remained at the BDR headquarters while 19 were being held in jails and two remained fugitive.
The court issued warrants of arrest against the two absconders and sent the 65 others, who have been working at the headquarters since the Feb 25-26 mutiny, to jail.
The court also asked the law enforcers to show the 19 other BDR men, already in jail in the Peellkhana killing case, as arrested in the mutiny case too.
The Peellkhana mutineers killed over 70 people, nearly 60 of them army officers deputed to the border force, during the events of Feb 25-26 2009. Rebellion spread to other BDR camps around the country.
The government formed six special courts under BDR law last year, including two in Dhaka, to try some 3,500 border guards accused in some 40 cases in connection with the Pilkhana mutiny and associated rebellions in different districts.
The special courts will only try the charges of mutiny and rebellion, BDR officials have said earlier.
Trials of the other serious crimes, including the killings, rape and arson, will be held in civilian court.
The first of the mutiny trials began at Rangamati on Nov 24 against border guards accused of taking up arms in rebellion and solidarity with the Pilkhana mutineers.
Trials are also being held in Feni, Satkhira and Thakurgaon.
The Special Court 4 in Rangamati is due to hand down the first verdict in connection with the BDR mutiny on May 2.
In the event of a guilty verdict by the special courts, the maximum penalty for mutiny or rebellion is seven years in jail. The killings at Pilkhana will carry the maximum penalty under civil law.
The special court began proceedings at noon, at the very site of the bloody uprising on Feb 25 last year, amid tight security in and around the sprawling Pilkhana compound.
Plaintiff in the case Subedar Major Shah Alam read out the charges, including participating in the mutiny, not resisting other mutineers, and not informing the higher authorities of the mutiny.
BDR director general Maj Gen Mainul Islam presided over the Special Court-5, set up under the Bangladesh Rifles Order-1972. Two other senior officers - Lt Col Golam Rabbani and Maj Sayeed Hasan Tapash - were also on the judges'' panel.
The plaintiff said 40 of the accused aimed guns at their officers on the first day of the two-day mutiny while the other accused did not try to stop them.
The court took cognizance of the charges.
Lawyer Mohammad Kislu, a representative nominated by the attorney general, remained present to give the court legal assistance. Four others - Mosharraf Hossain Kajal, Sheikh Baharul Islam, Manjur Alam Manju and Mohammad Shahnaj Tipu - were present as special prosecutors.
"Charges will be brought against the accused today. The charges include mutiny, holding back from resisting the mutineers and not informing higher authorities of the mutiny," Shahnaj Tipu told reporters before beginning of the proceedings on Tuesday.
Manjur said 65 of the 86 accused in the case had remained at the BDR headquarters while 19 were being held in jails and two remained fugitive.
The court issued warrants of arrest against the two absconders and sent the 65 others, who have been working at the headquarters since the Feb 25-26 mutiny, to jail.
The court also asked the law enforcers to show the 19 other BDR men, already in jail in the Peellkhana killing case, as arrested in the mutiny case too.
The Peellkhana mutineers killed over 70 people, nearly 60 of them army officers deputed to the border force, during the events of Feb 25-26 2009. Rebellion spread to other BDR camps around the country.
The government formed six special courts under BDR law last year, including two in Dhaka, to try some 3,500 border guards accused in some 40 cases in connection with the Pilkhana mutiny and associated rebellions in different districts.
The special courts will only try the charges of mutiny and rebellion, BDR officials have said earlier.
Trials of the other serious crimes, including the killings, rape and arson, will be held in civilian court.
The first of the mutiny trials began at Rangamati on Nov 24 against border guards accused of taking up arms in rebellion and solidarity with the Pilkhana mutineers.
Trials are also being held in Feni, Satkhira and Thakurgaon.
The Special Court 4 in Rangamati is due to hand down the first verdict in connection with the BDR mutiny on May 2.
In the event of a guilty verdict by the special courts, the maximum penalty for mutiny or rebellion is seven years in jail. The killings at Pilkhana will carry the maximum penalty under civil law.
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