Published : 11 Sep 2026, 04:11 AM
Updated : 16 Sep 2026, 11:49 AM
There is no scope for reinstating the 8,796 members who were dismissed or forced into retirement over the 2009 BDR mutiny and killings, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has told parliament.
The 2009 incident saw 6,286 personnel dismissed, while another 2,510 were forced into retirement.
The minister said all punishments followed due legal process and no innocent BDR member was dismissed, leaving no scope for reinstatement.
He made the remarks on Thursday while responding to a question from Gaibandha-5 lawmaker Md Abdul Wares during question time in parliament.
Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal presided over the session in which the question was raised.
Salahuddin said dismissed BDR members who are accused in murder and explosives cases also have no scope for reinstatement.
After the Awami League government was ousted, dismissed BDR members demanded reinstatement with compensation and staged protests in Dhaka during the interim government’s tenure.
They alleged they were dismissed in 2009 after falling victim to a conspiracy.
Two months after the previous Awami League government took office, a mutiny broke out at the Bangladesh Rifles headquarters in Pilkhana, Dhaka, on Feb 25-26, 2009, leaving 74 people dead, including 57 army officers. The incident drew international attention.
Following the mutiny, the border force’s name was changed from BDR, and its uniform was also altered. The force is now known as Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).
While the mutiny was tried in a BGB court, the killings were tried in regular courts. Alongside sentences handed down in these cases, many lost their jobs over allegations of involvement in the incident.
Calls for a fresh investigation into the BDR mutiny grew after the interim government took charge. The interim administration later formed a National Independent Inquiry Commission in December last year.
Several imprisoned BDR members were released on bail, while dismissed members and their families continued to protest.
