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Published : 30 Nov 2025, 09:15 PM
Deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina "gave the go-ahead" to the brutal carnage in the BDR mutiny of 2009 in which 57 army officers were killed, the National Independent Inquiry Commission has said.
In its investigation report filed on Sunday, the commission found “strong evidence of direct involvement” of the then ruling party, the Awami League.
The massacre was planned, and former member of parliament Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh played the chief coordinator’s role, the investigators claimed.
The report also said there is evidence of the “direct involvement of foreign powers” in the incident.
Retired major general ALM Fazlur Rahman, head of the commission, and another commission member, retired maj gen Jahangir Kabir Talukder, made these statements after submitting the report to interim government head Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna, according to a media statement from the Chief Advisor's Office (CAO).
Seventy-four people, including the 57 army officers, were killed in the mutiny at the erstwhile Bangladesh Rifles, or BDR, Headquarters in Dhaka’s Pilkhana on Feb 25 and 26, 2009.
Following a change in power and the interim administration taking charge, demands arose for a re-investigation of the incident. The inquiry commission was formed on Dec 24, with a 90-day deadline to submit its findings.
Upon receiving the report, the chief advisor said: "The nation has been in the dark for a long time over the BDR massacre. The nation will remember the role you have played in uncovering the truth."
He said people had many questions about this terrifying historical event, and this report will bring an end to those.
The report contains "many lessons to be learned" and will remain a "valuable asset" for the nation, Yunus added.
Commission head Fazlur said the "highest level of professionalism" was maintained to ensure the investigation was fair, impartial, and without flaws.
He noted that when they began their work, many pieces of evidence for the 16-year-old incident had already been destroyed. Many people involved in the incident had also gone abroad.
"We went through two processes. We called witnesses; we listened to some people's statements for up to eight hours, for as long as they wanted to speak.
“We spoke with those who were involved in the initial investigation. We collected their reports and other elements."
He said the inquiry sought to answer every question the public had about the BDR massacre and attempted to uncover everyone's role. It also investigated why the Army stood by and did not take action.
The investigation found “strong evidence of direct involvement of foreign powers and the then-ruling party the Awami League” in the BDR massacre, he added.
At this time, another commission member Jahangir spoke about the panel's findings, saying the commission identified some external and actual causes for the incident.
He asserted that this massacre was planned, and former MP Taposh played the chief coordinator’s role behind it.
He said the local Awami League directly played a role in protecting those involved in the killing. They entered Pilkhana with a procession of up to 25 people, and when leaving, the march consisted of over two hundred people.
Jahangir said the entire incident was carried out with the "green signal" from ousted premier Hasina.
Referring to the determination of responsibility in the incident, he said the liability lies with the then-head of government down to the Army chief.
The decision was made to “resolve this incident politically”, he said, pointing out the failures of police, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and intelligence agencies.
The role of some print and electronic media outlets and several journalists during the incident was “unprofessional”, he noted.
The correct names, identities, and information of the BDR members who met with Hasina at the former prime minister's official residence during the massacre were not “properly preserved”, he added.
The commission made several recommendations in its report to help avoid such incidents and to ensure that the victims of this incident receive justice.
