Dhaka, Mar 31 (bdnews24.com) — A special BDR court at Pilkhana heard charges Wednesday morning against border guards of the 24 Rifles Battalion accused of mutiny in February 2009.
The special court- 5 at the Darbar Hall, with BDR director general Major General Moinul Islam in the chair, started proceedings around 10am.
Subedar Md Matiur Rahman brought allegations of mutiny against 668 border guards. The court took the charges into cognisance and issued arrest warrants for all of the accused.
It also ordered authorities to produce the accused in court on Thursday along with copies of the charges and witness statements.
Of the accused, 355 were already shown arrested in the day's proceedings. They were arrested earlier in connection the mutiny case filed at New Market Police Station last year. The other 313 were arrested from the Pilkhana headquarters Wednesday morning.
The case's plaintiff, Rahman, told the court that nearly all members of the 24 Rifles Battalion, led by Subedar Major Gofran Mallik, took part in the mutiny from its very start at Darbar Hall on the morning of Feb 25 2009.
He said they killed the battalion's commanding officers, Lt Col Lutfor Rahman, Maj Mominur Rahman and Maj Momin. After killing the senior officers, the accused engaged in a quarrel about who would take their positions, the court heard.
"They participated directly in the mutiny in a pre-planned manner and helped others," said the plaintiff.
He also said that there was specific evidences against the accused, including recovery of stolen jewellery and goods from their trunks and residences.
Of the 368 accused, one holds the rank of subedar major, five of subedar, 13 are naik subedars, 38 habildars, 22 naiks, 38 lance naiks and 551 are sepoys.
BDR officers Lt Col AKM Golam Rabbani and Maj Syeed Hasan Taposh flanked the BDR chief to make up the three-member panel of judges. Deputy attorney general Mohammad Sohrawardy represented the state. The case's prosecutor is the commanding officer of the battalion Lt Col Md Shamsur Rahman.
The court adjourned around 12:30pm on Wednesday. It will be in session again from 10am on Thursday with all the accused present.
This is the second Pilkhana trial. Trial of some 310 border guards of 36 Rifles Battalion also began last month at the same court.
Over 70 people, 57 of them army officers deputed to the border force, were killed during the mutiny at Pilkhana on Feb 25-26 2009. Rebellion also spread to BDR outposts in several districts around the country.
Last November, the government formed six special courts, including two in Dhaka, to try some 3,500 border guards accused in some 40 cases around the country under the BDR Act.
In the event of a guilty verdict, the maximum penalty for rebellion is seven years in jail. The six special courts are trying charges of mutiny, looting and arson. The killings at Pilkhana will be tried separately under civil law.
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