Pilkhana massacre: Allegations against Sheikh Hasina filed at tribunal

Former army chief Moeen Uddin Ahmed was also accused by the families of the victims of the BDR mutiny

Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former army chief Moeen Uddin Ahmed have been accused of “crimes against humanity” at the International Crimes Tribunal, or ICT, for the killings during the Bangladesh Rifles mutiny at Pilkhana a decade and a half ago.

The families of the army officers killed in the incident filed the charges on Thursday afternoon, ICT Prosecutor BM Sultan Mahmud said.

The names of the others accused were not immediately known.

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.

Two cases were filed over the incident – one for murder and the other under the Explosive Substances Act.

The release of 468 BDR members is stuck because of the explosive substances case after their acquittal or the completion of their sentences in the murder case.

The trial of 850 people in the murder case concluded on Nov 5, 2013.

Of them, 152 were sentenced to death, 160 to life imprisonment, and 256 others to jail terms with 278 people released.

The High Court issued a death reference and appeal verdict in the case on Nov 27, 2017, upholding death sentences for 139 convicts.

As many as 185 accused were sentenced to life imprisonment while 228 others to different periods, alongside 283 people released.

A total of 54 accused, including 15 officers, died before the High Court verdict. As many as 226 convicts appealed and filed leave to appeal against the High Court verdict.

On the other hand, the state also filed a leave to appeal against the acquittal and reduction of sentence of 83 accused in the High Court.

These appeals and leave-to-appeals are now awaiting hearing.

The trial of 834 accused in the explosive substances case began in 2010.

However, in the half way, the prosecution started to present only the witnesses of the murder case, slightly halting the court proceedings in the explosive case.

There have been demands to reopen the investigation into the BDR mutiny after the interim government assumed power.

On Tuesday, Home Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said that a committee would be formed to re-investigate the killings within five working days.