Today is the terrible day. Today is Pilkhana Tragedy Day

The Dhaka Times Desk Today is the day of the terrible event that happened in the memory. Pilkhana tragedy marks four years today. On this day in 2009, in the name of rebellion, some BDR members brutally killed 74 people including 57 army personnel in Pilkhana. The rampage that went on in Pilkhana that day is rare in the history of any orderly force in the world. The nation today remembers them with deep respect.

The wife of the then (BDR) Director General of BGB, her maid, rickshaw pullers, vegetable sellers, students were not spared from the hands of the rebel jawans. Hundreds of families, including 57 army families, were dismembered that day in the brutal rampage of some of the misguided assassins of BDR, including Lance Naik Ikram, Sepahi Salim Reza, Kajal Ali, Bached and Shamim Al Mamun Jewel. Thousands of families of BDR were affected. Even after the trial of this brutal incident, the help and cooperation of those involved and various attempts to turn around, the tears of the bereaved have not stopped even today. But there is hope - the trial of this cruel and brutal massacre is likely to end this year. The counsels of the state forcefully say that the trial of the Pilkhana murder case will end this year. According to sources, after the Pilkhana tragedy, the police filed a case under the murder and explosives law, first at the Kotwali police station and then at the New Market police station, including DAD Touhidul Alam of Sadar Battalion. Also, 57 mutiny cases were filed in different parts of the country including Pilkhana under the force's own law. More than 6 thousand BDR members were accused in these cases.

On October 20 last year, 57 mutiny cases were settled by sentencing 723 people of the Sadar Rifle Battalion to various terms. However, on January 5, 2011, the trial process of the murder case started in the temporary Dhaka Metropolitan Judge Court adjacent to the old Dhaka Aliya Madrasa ground, but the trial process has not been completed so far. In 57 mutiny cases, 5926 people were sentenced to imprisonment for various terms in special courts constituted under BDR's own law. 870 people were given the maximum sentence among them. At the same time, all the convicts were fined 100 rupees and fired. 115 BDR members were acquitted in these cases. All discharged BDR members have now returned to BGB (ex-BDR). In the murder case, CID Special Superintendent of Police Abdul Kahhar Akand served as the investigation officer, but about 40 members of CID assisted him in the investigation work. After the investigation, 824 people, including 23 civilians, were initially charged in the murder case and later 26 others were charged in the supplementary charge sheet. Civilians include BNP leader Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu, BNP local leader Suraiya Begum and Awami League leader and former BDR member Torab Ali. 20 accused in this case are still absconding. On the other hand, the Explosives Act case is also going on in the same court along with the murder case. In this case, charge sheet was given against 808 people. Later, the supplementary charge sheet was filed against 26 others, bringing the total number of accused in this case to 834. Three of them died. About the judicial process, Director General of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Major General Aziz Ahmed said, we have to move forward after leaving behind the scandalous chapter like BDR rebellion and Pilkhana massacre. And according to the law, the accused in the Pilkhana murder case will be tried. In this case, the court will be fully supported by the BGB to finish the trial process properly. Advocate Anisul Haque, the chief prosecutor of the state side, said that when the trial of the murder case will be completed, now is not the time to say for sure. However, efforts are being made to complete the trial process this year. Another prosecutor of the state, Advocate Mosharraf Hossain Kajol, said that the murder case is now in its final stage. It will be possible to finish the testimony phase by taking the testimony of the investigating officer of the case next month. As such, the trial of the murder case can be completed this year.

Prosecutor Advocate Sheikh Baharul Islam told reporters that the number of witnesses in the charge sheet in the Pilkhana murder case was more than 1,200. Among them, the state party has already completed the testimony of 562 witnesses. In a few days the testimony will be concluded with the testimony of a few more people. Meanwhile, LGRD State Minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Law State Minister Advocate Kamrul Islam, Whip Mirza Azam MP, Navy Chief, former Air Force Chief, former IGP have testified in this case as VIP witnesses. Posts and Telecommunication Minister (former Home Minister) Sahara Khatun, Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Tapas MP, former Army Chief Moin U Ahmed remain as VIP witnesses in this case. However, it has been confirmed that former army chief Moin U Ahmad is not testifying. Aminul Islam, the lawyer for the accused, said that the sooner the Pilkhana murder case is over, the better. Because, the state has brought unnecessary witnesses in many cases. Shamim Sardar and Farooq Ahmed, the other two lawyers of the defendants also said the same thing. However, they also said that the proceedings of the case may be delayed due to political instability.

Various programs including Milad Mahfil

As part of the celebration of the day, programs like prayer, milad mahfil, flowers on graves have been taken by BGB for those killed in Pilkhana today. Various political-social organizations have also taken various programs. Muhammad Mohsin Reza, public relations officer of BGB, said that on Pilkhana massacre day, all regions, sectors, institutions, units and BOP levels of BGB, including Pilkhana, have organized Holy Quran Khatam, Doa and Milad Mahfil today after Fajr. At 10 am on the business of Bangladesh Army, the representative of the President, the representative of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Home Affairs and the Minister of State (together), the Chiefs of the three Armed Forces (together), the Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Director General of the BGB (together) will lay wreaths at the memorial of the martyrs. Tomorrow Tuesday at 4:30 pm special prayer and milad mahfil will be held at Bir Uttam Fazlur Rahman Khandkar Auditorium of Pilkhana seeking forgiveness for the souls of martyrs. It is said that Home Minister, State Minister of Home Affairs, Senior Secretary of Home Ministry, Director General of BGB, next of kin of martyrs, all officers working in Pilkhana, JCOs, other ranks of soldiers and civil servants will participate there.