Seventy-four people including 57 army officers were killed in the February 25-26 mutiny in 2009.
The mutiny in the paramilitary border guard force, a month after a new government took office sent shock waves across the country and the world.
Never before had so many accused been tried in a single case in Bangladesh.
The special court of Dhaka's Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman, set up at the Bakshi Bazar Alia Madrasa ground, delivered the verdict on Tuesday.
While delivering the verdict, he said the mutiny was orchestrated to destroy the country's security architecture.
It was also not right to engage the BDR for selling commodities, the judge observed.
DAD Touhid and 151 other Jawans and non-commissioned officers were also fined Tk 100,000 along with their death sentences.
Of the 846 living accused, the court handed down life sentence to 161 people, including former BNP MP Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu and local Awami League leader Torab Ali.
The two were also fined Tk 500,000 each and would suffer five more years in jail for non-payment.
161 men were also given 10 years in jail and Tk 20,000 in fine for looting arms and two more years of imprisonment for non-payment.
Total 256 accused were given various jail terms between three and 10 years and fined varying amounts.
Another 277 men were acquitted for insufficient evidence.
In his immediate reaction, Public Prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kajal said justice has been done in full measure with the successful conclusion of the trial.
However, the defence said it would challenge the verdict in the Peelkhana massacre case.
After the sentence, defence lawyers Shamim Sardar, SM Rifaz Uddin and Ataur Rahman said, "We did not get justice, we believe."
Those acquitted embraced each other in joy and shouted, “Marhaba, Marhaba’, flaunting victory sign ‘V’ after their verdict was handed down. But some of those who got the death penalty were seen crying while some shouted in frustration.
Families of several army officials who were killed during the mutiny, investigation officer Abdul Kahhar Akanda and BGB Director Gen Maj Gen Aziz Ahmed were present when the verdict was being delivered.
In his immediate reaction, Aziz said, “We had long been waiting for this verdict. The verdict has helped BGB get rid of its smeared image."
The judge had started delivering the verdict from 12:33pm.
Of the 850 accused, 813 were brought in from the Dhaka Central Jail earlier in the morning.
Ten of the 13 other accused, who were on bail, also showed up at the court. In this case, 20 accused have been absconding while four others died during the trial.
Two more accused from Naogaon and another from Jessore also could not show up due to the Opposition 18-Party alliance's 60-hour nationwide general strike.
Security was tightened around the court premises and adjacent areas since the morning.
To destroy security architecture
The court observed that involving the border guards with market activities like 'Operation Dal-bhat', introduced by the last caretaker government, had been 'unwise'.
"There were economic motives behind the Feb 25-26, 2009 mutiny at BDR's Peelkhana headquarters," the verdict said, adding there could have also been "political and diplomatic motives" behind the mutiny.
The court believed there were intelligence 'gaps' as well, involving holding back of information of a brewing mutiny.
Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman said, "The mutiny was orchestrated with the motive to destroy the military security system. It was orchestrated to lower our country's image in the international arena and to stop foreign investments."
The court also observed that the mutiny may also had been engineered to weaken the country's economy.
"The BDR (now BGB) members are on guard to protect the country as much as the Army. They should also get 20 percent allowance like the armed forces personnel. It may also be a matter to see if they could be given risk allowance."
The BDR has been renamed Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) since the mutiny and the uniform of the force has been changed -- all to give it a new look and image.
Case History
One murder case and two cases under Explosives Act were filed with Lalbagh Police Station in connection with the BDR mutiny. Later the cases were shifted to New Market Police Station.
Trial of the cases began after the CID submitted charge sheets in connection with murder and explosives. The CID took a long time to investigate the cases.
Total 824 persons were accused in the murder chargesheet. Of them, 23 persons were civilians. Names of 26 persons were later included in the supplementary chargesheet.
The CID also submitted a charge sheet against 808 persons in the Explosives act. Names of 26 persons were later included in the supplementary chargesheet.
Dhaka's special judge Jahurul Haq began the trial of the cases on Jan 5, 2011. The testimony of the cases began on Aug 24.
Judge Akhtaruzzaman later was entrusted with the trial of the cases.
A total of 1,345 persons, including ministers, MPs and former and current IGPs, army, navy and air force officials, were made prosecution witnesses to the cases.
But eventually, only 654 persons deposed before the court.
After the depositions, the prosecution presented its arguments and counter arguments on Sept 29.
The defence took nine working days to finish its part.
The judge had fixed Oct 30 to deliver its verdict on the massacre case but the date was later shifted to Nov 5.
During the trial, four accused, including Deputy Assistant Director Rahim, died, while 20 others are still on the run.
Thirteen accused had been on bail in the case. Of them, 10 have been jailed for three years and three others were acquitted of the murder charges.
Under the BDR Act, 57 cases were also filed.
As the cases went up for trial, 5,926 persons got different punishments. The trials continued for around three years.
A seven-year imprisonment, according to the BDR Act, was the maximum punishment in the mutiny cases.