Former BGB chief Mainul stopped at Dhaka airport

Mainul Islam has been prevented from leaving Bangladesh, reportedly heading to Canada

Md Mainul Islam, former director general of the Border Guard Bangladesh, or BGB, has been stopped at Dhaka’s Shahjalal International Airport while attempting to leave the country.

The Special Branch of police barred him from boarding his flight on Tuesday evening, confirmed SB chief Md Golam Rasul.

Rasul told bdnews24.com, "He was offloaded and requested not to leave the country at this time. He has been asked to assist the commission investigating the BDR (Bangladesh Rifles0 mutiny by providing information."

After being turned back at immigration, Mainul left the airport, but his current whereabouts remain unknown, the SB chief added.

Airport sources revealed that Mainul was trying to travel to Canada.

However, it remains unclear if any family members were accompanying him.

Attempts to contact Mainul for comments resulted in a brief reply, where he said: “I’ll talk later.”

A total of 74 people, including 57 army officers, were killed in a bloody mutiny at the BGB Headquarters in Pilkhana on Feb 25 and 26, 2009, causing a stir in the global arena.

Following the mutiny, Mainul was appointed the DG of BDR.

The interim government has now formed a seven-member commission to investigate the mutiny, with approval from Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, Home Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said on Monday.

The commission, led by former BGB DG ALM Fazlur Rahman, includes two military officials, a civil servant, two university professors, and a senior police officer.

During his tenure, Mainul oversaw the transformation of the BDR into the Border Guard Bangladesh or BGB.

He implemented significant reforms, including renaming the force, introducing new uniforms, and establishing an intelligence unit.

He was later promoted to lieutenant general and appointed general staff at the army headquarters.

He served as the principal staff officer at the Armed Forces Division in 2015 before retiring from the army in February 2016.

Before his role as BGB DG, Mainul was the chief instructor for the Armed Forces War Course at the National Defence College.

Mainul’s family includes notable figures such as his brother Tafażżul Islam, the 17th chief justice of Bangladesh, and Atiqul Islam, a businessman and former mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation.