Bangladesh News and Discussion

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 27 Feb 2009 18:18

Indian intelligence sources told Hardnews that they see the imprimatur of Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) behind this violent showdown between the army and the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR). They believe that the Islamists within the ISI, who have traditional links with the BDR, may have tried to botch growing ties between Prime Minister Hasina Wajid and India. Hasina's call to fight terror could have been the trigger, sources said, behind the BDR's mutiny.

brihaspati · Post by **brihaspati** » 27 Feb 2009 18:32

The connection is with the recent decision to proceed with the war-crimes trials and the Pakistan emissary's hasty urge to drop the chrages and proceedings. By showing the BDR to be possibly unreliable and given BDR's role in the border, Jamaat and BNP's opposition to the transit agreement with India, the Jihadists are simply warning the AL. It was possibly started with a small core using genuine grievances, but most were simply caught up in it. The main core has possibly vanished now and perhaps now quite safely ensconced in havens in WB maintained by the Jihadists.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 27 Feb 2009 19:23

Mass grave found after Bangladesh mutiny

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 27 Feb 2009 19:35

Can someone xlate this Bengali piece and see if there is anything incriminating?
http://www.dailynayadiganta.com/fullnew ... 1291&sec=1

It looks like

and col. gulzar was in charge rab intel a few years back before he was posted in bdr. he was the main key behind catching a lot of big name terror mastaans like bangla bhai etc. what a lose! what a disgusting event!

A lot of eerie parallels with the hunting down in Bombay. Targeting select folks has become so common!

Apparently,

Many bodies were thrown into ponds infested with African magurs

http://images.google.com/images?um=1&hl ... rch+Images
Thats magur. This is a planned massacre. What spur of the moment killing will make people think to throw bodies in ponds, drainage etc.

Further,

It is likely that many people who did nt belong to the bdr were inside when the mayhem happened.

Army morale is at rock bottom. Friends who treated army like religion are thinking about leaving. Army intel found out a lot. it'll all start to come out soon. Even the pak army didn't do some of what bdr did.

See some close-up pics of tanks moving in here. Sorry need to login to facebook. I have nt seen them. So FWIW.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=6 ... 793&ref=nf

The rescued officers were praising the jawans for saving their life. Though in some internet forum there was rumor of rape even the women praised their captive for decent behaviour; providing warm food, allowing children to play. Though the ladies complain about looting valuables. One of my colleague's brother in law (a lt. col) told her that his subordinate jawans risked their life to save him. They just asked him just to save their lives in future trials.

The body of Colonel Gulzar Uddin Ahmed was retrieved today from the headquarters of Bangladesh Rifles. Lieutenant Colonel Shamsuzzaman Khan, commanding officer of Rapid Action Battalion-2, identified Gulzar's body. But Gulzar's relatives could not confirm whether it was his body.
Gulzar was the founding director of the intelligence wing of Rab. He had led the operation to arrest militant kingpin Shaikh Abdur Rahman who was later convicted and hanged Sylhet. In December, he was deputed to BDR as commander of Sylhet Sector from Rab.

Nesoj · Post by **Nesoj** » 27 Feb 2009 20:07

FUTURE OF THE BDR

What could be the future of the BDR as post mutiny investigations have revealed almost 'mass slaughter' of the BDA Officers and reports that BDA Officers in other (Non Dhaka Units) had all fled from their camps facing or fearing similar 'mini mutinies'.

The options are limited to :-

1 : Status quo, and BDR ranks (except for ring leaders) return to duty under BDA Officers. Under the current situation with the extremely high level of mistrust among the two.. BDA would find very few takers from among it's officers to go back to the BDR. The officers would certainly be scared (what with cases of personal guards attacking family members) and the BDR being a bit 'cocky', having sort of 'got away' after attacking the BDA. This again, would certainly not be acceptable to the BDR as it does not address their original grievance and chances of a localized repeat mutinies a possibility

2 : The BDR get officers from 'within' their organization. However, considering that the 'highest' BDR Officer is just a 'Subedar Major', certainly the huge organization cannot be administered by just JCO's and NCO's. Most would be poorly educated/trained and in those positions just due to their years of service. Further, among the ranks, seniority is respected and there is a big possibility that the ring leaders of the mutiny were among these JCO's and NCO's. So these JCO's / NCO's loyalty is certainly suspect.... certainly not an option

3 : Officers from the Police / Administration take charge of the BDR. As far as the BDR is concerned, nothing changes.... just on set of outside officers (BDA) being replaced by another (Police). Further Police / Admin officers would again (similar to the BDA) be scared to be posted in remote border areas with the BDR jawans (what if the mutiny flares up again ??). Again these officers are ill qualified to lead a para military organisation like the BDR, especially when they have had no training or experience in such. It would take years of training to be up to the task while at the same time the BDR's demands are not answered.

4 : Absorb the BDR into the BDA after eliminating the rebellious elements. This would address the BDR's demands for salary parity. The BDA would certainly not be in favor of this (their colleague's murderers being rewarded for their actions). This absorption could be either as :-
a) keeping all the BDR forces as a single separate entity within the army.... chances that this unit will always be discriminated against by the BDA and chances of mutiny in future.
b) break up the BDR and spread out the different companies within regular BDA units. In time these would be no difference between the BDA and exBDR jawans.
However in this case there is a question of 'who would man the borders' ? The BDA would have to be called in for this task and would have strategic implications on the border for India. A paramilitary force (BSF) facing a military force (BDA)

5 : Totally disband all units of the BDR that took place in the mutiny whether in Dacca or outstation. Send the jawans back to their villages. This has serious 'political' implecations for the newly formed Govt, as the BDR has been always been seen as an AL supporter, with most of the jawans coming from the South of BD (a AL stronghold). This would probably be the demand of the BDA. Further, the Islamic parties have already started their games (there were demonstrations showing support by them and chants of 'the people are with you... death to officers). Any retrenchment would only lead these guys into further radicalization. Was the red bandanas / headgear just a coincidence.... or any Mao'ist links ??

Any other options ? What do you think will most probably happen in say 'two weeks' ?

Again, as of now the borders are un-patrolled by the BDR. Officers have fled during the mutiny, jawans are fleeing now, fearing retribution by the BDA. Is this not a good time for the BSF to re-occupy all those 'disputed areas', once and for all... now that there will no opposition

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 27 Feb 2009 21:19

Now it seems that civilian casualty is also not few. This side also needs to be covered.

7:15 PM: Disturbing news - two drug addicts captured with BDR ammo. Apparently few civilians went inside the compound and may have looted some weapons.

Looks like a Mumbai - part II on the east coast of Akhand Bharat

News are just coming in bits and pieces. So far it seems this is a pre-planned attack on those who curbed crimes. Criminals like Hazari and others fled the country for those heros. They couldn't return while they (the dead ones) were in-charge of RAB.

I am not going to say anything about the killing or looting but how does raping sound to you? raping and picking eyes from the eye sockets and then killing? This to who is older than their moms? At what purposes officers dead bodies are with out wrists? Are you prepared to handle the truth?

Only blaming these uneducated Jawans would be simply wrong. BD Army is on a boiling point. Either something big is going to happen (Allah na koruk). Or they will just leave.

From Daily Star,

In the joint hunt of army, police and Rab, a huge number of BDR uniforms were found abandoned inside the headquarters.

Seems like the BDR folks have disappeared in civvies -- as reported here before.

India and Bangladesh continued their first joint military exercise in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district Thursday despite an on-going mutiny in Bangladesh, reported the private Indo-Asian News Service. The Indian Army, Air Force and Bangladesh Army started on Feb. 22 the two-week exercise "to test their battlefield tactics," said the report."The exercise is not in any ways affected by the developments in Bangladesh," the report quoted an unnamed senior army official as saying.

Indian Army and Air Force personnel held a firepower demonstration at a firing range Tuesday, while some of the most powerful weapons in the Indian armoury, like Bofors guns, T-27 guns from the artillery and MiG-27, MiG-17 and Cheetah helicopters took part in the exercise, said the report. The exercise is also aimed at anti-terrorist purposes to fight "terrorist and insurgency problems", said the report.

Thousands of Bangladesh Rifles para-military soldiers staged a mutiny Wednesday in Dhaka against to press for a series of demands including increasing salary and getting better facilities.

From Daily star again,

State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Jahangir Kabir Nanak today said the killing of army officers during the BDR mutiny was an act of sabotage. The state minister said a vested group had long been working on the conspiracy and it distributed millions of taka among the BDR soldiers.

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 27 Feb 2009 21:29

THE BDR rebellion must surely be the ruling coalition's baptism of fire, coming so soon after its assumption of the reins of the government. And just as when the nation was feeling elated, now that an elected government was at last in charge, the mutiny was a rude awakening to the fact that not everything is well in this land of ours.

Reports of what went on inside the BDR headquarters on the morning of Tuesday are still very scanty, and are of little help in making an accurate assessment of the incident. But I shall try and piece together the fractured information and see if we can make a sense of what went wrong. What, however, must be made clear before we proceed any further is that not all the BDR sepoys joined the rebel ranks so far as I can assess, and some perhaps also offered resistance to the rebel group.

This incident, some say, is the outburst of many years of pent up grievances of the BDR jawans. And the major gripe was the command of officers seconded from the army. But one must understand that this was a well-planned and co-ordinated action which the intelligence agencies failed to get wind of. And the time and space was well selected: the occasion of BDR reunion, a yearly event, and the darbar, where most of its officers would be present.

It is not quite the spontaneous outburst of resentment at not being heard by the DG. In the 35 years of my service in the army, a great portion of which was spent in the company of troops and in operation under very trying conditions I have never heard of or encountered a situation where grievances manifested in the form of violence that we are getting to hear about. No level of grievance can justify the mayhem.

The situation has been tackled in a very pragmatic manner by the government. The government troops were on a very sticky wicket tactically, given the location of the BDR HQ and the other installments inside it, and the heavy conurbations all around it. It was an extremely judicious approach to adopt the path of least resistance. Knowing when to withhold from precipitate use of force that might risk civilian lives is the hallmark of good planning. But the fact remains that we have a rebellion on our hands. And a large number of officers have been killed.

I would suggest that there is much more than what is made out by the rebel troops justifying their action. No sane persons can indulge in random killings just because their officers refused to hear their grievances. We have learnt that the rebels started laying down arms from the early morning of Thursday. We have heard, too, that there are many dead, and the state minister for law is on record that the number is near 50. I suspect that the number of dead might be considerably more than that.

Did it need the lives of so many for the grievances of the BDR troops to be fulfilled? I suggest that there is much more than meets the eye. And those at the helm of the state machinery must comprehend why so many lives were lost just to have the grievances of BDR troops redressed. There is no doubt that this is also a case of failure of command -- failure to see the shape of things to come, failure to address troops' needs timely. I would also suggest that it has also been a dismal and unpardonable failure of the intelligence agencies that are supposed to keep watch over these elements.

One can guess that there was lax oversight over the BDR command by the appropriate ministries. No doubt the DG's own mechanism failed him, because it must have been neutralised by the rebels well before they went into action. But the issue is much more than merely invoking the demands of the troops of the paramilitary force. On the face of it, the demand to have the BDR officered by its organic element may sound innocuous, but it has much wider ramifications. And when they had been living with this system for the last 37 years, why mutiny now?

There are operational reasons why army officers go on lien to the BDR. It is an integral part of our battle plan, designed to operate alongside the regular forces and designed for integration in peace-time so that it is easier during the times of need to exercise command. Changes that have been demanded cannot be wrought overnight. And the mutineers must be made to understand that.

The most disconcerting aspect is that at the moment the BDR is without its commanders. The border as far as I am concerned is unattended and the BDR is virtually non-functional. That is something that the government will have to address urgently. As for the grievances, while they may be genuine, the government must take a long-term view of the matter. All angles must be probed -- because there are reasons to believe that this was not a spontaneous rebellion.

The PM declared amnesty to the rebels and asked them to lay down their arms on Tuesday. Apparently, not all had complied and one could see the resolve in her address to the nation that the government would not hold back from the use of force should the rebels not comply. However, one would hope that the issue would be resolved without further loss of life. And I for one also believe that the government should not and would not compromise with those that were responsible for the killings.

Brig Gen (retd) Shahedul Anam Khan is Editor, Defence & Strategic Affairs,The Daily Star.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/n ... ?nid=77580

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 27 Feb 2009 21:33

There was someone who had posted a three month lag between bombings in India. Approx 3 months after Nov 26 is what happened yesterday in BD.

It also comes in the wake of "Amar Ekushey and International Mother Language Day - Feb 21". There was a similar gap between Nov 26 and something else. Misses me now.

sum · Post by **sum** » 27 Feb 2009 22:00

like Bofors guns, T-27 guns from the artillery and MiG-27, MiG-17 and Cheetah helicopters took part in the exercise, said the report.

MiG-17, T-27???

What excercises were India and BD involved in? There was never any mention anywhere about that!!

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 27 Feb 2009 22:31

sum wrote: What excercises were India and BD involved in? There was never any mention anywhere about that!!

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009- ... 903673.htm

enqyoob · Post by **enqyoob** » 27 Feb 2009 22:52

This brings to mind the famous poem:

Ahr soldiers went to war...

Nothing to laugh about, of course, and very scary. Is this the completion of the Paki takeover of BD?

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 27 Feb 2009 23:08

But with details emerging of the massacre that took place at the Bangladesh Rifles' headquarters, retired major general A.N.M Muniruzzaman, president of the Bangladesh Institute for Peace and Security Studies, expects the perpetrators to face justice.

"The figures could go as high as 100 to 120 [killed]," he said. "Besides, there has been extensive looting, burnings of buildings inside, alleged instances of physical abuse and rape. … I don't really think that this should be pardoned."

http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-02-27-voa9.cfm

BNP has been too silent except for this statement
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/l ... ?nid=15296

The modus operandi is the same as in 1971

Gen. Shakil Ahmed's bullet-ridden body was found this evening buried along with many others in the mass grave at BDR headquarters, according to Fire Brigade Director Sheikh Mohammad Shahjalal. "It had been shot several times and was badly decomposed. Colleagues identified him," Shahjalal said. The fate of his wife and teenage son is not yet known. Aided by sniffer dogs, security forces came across the mass grave and unearthed the bodies of army officers hurriedly piled up with mud, taking the toll so far to 67.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Worl ... 202327.cms

The officer, Colonel Syed M Quamruzzaman, who was present at the 'Darbar' at BDR headquarters, where the bloody mutiny began and had a miraculous escape, said "the guards appeared from nowhere and barged into the meeting hurling abuses at us." "They told us that they were treated shabbily and wanted cheap rations, higher pay, better working conditions and UN postings," he said.

Giving an eyewitness account of the sordid happenings in the main hall, the colonel said the BDR personnel, some carrying even sub-machine guns said they wanted an end to what they called "army's rule over BDR". "At gun point, they marched Director General Major General Shakil Ahmed and other senior officers in a single file outside the hall. Just outside, another batch of the soldiers came running in and opened indiscriminate firing, which felled the DG and other senior officers," the Colonel said.

"Bullets were sprayed on me and I was hit in the stomach. But I managed to crawl into a nearby bathroom to hide, but they found me and shot me again," Quamruzzaman said adding he somehow managed to survive. "It was cold-blooded murder," the colonel and some other Army survivors recounted.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Worl ... 201327.cms

Raju · Post by **Raju** » 27 Feb 2009 23:27

Indeed there seems to be a three-monthly pattern of terror/social unrest cycles in the whole Indian subcontinent. This then also overlaps with other unstable countries in the region.

the attackers are very committed to opportunism and always choose their targets that satisfy criteria of minimum resistance and maximum publicity.

State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Jahangir Kabir Nanak today said the killing of army officers during the BDR mutiny was an act of sabotage. The state minister said a vested group had long been working on the conspiracy and it distributed millions of taka among the BDR soldiers.

a new thread infact needs to be opened studying the three-monthly phenomenon of terror strikes in various forms. This can only be the handiwork of an organisation that has leverage of much bigger socio-economic inputs and data.

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 27 Feb 2009 23:37

To be updated once more info trickles in:
BD have lost 55 defense officers in ‘71 liberation, over the last two days they have lost many more than that.

The list of dead officers and their connections to India, if any:
1) Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed, BDR chief, One of the first to be killed in the morning. Body dumped in a mud-pit. His wife was allegedly raped in some accounts, allegedly killed in other accounts. Rumour is that she was the more corrupt of the two. Their house was apparently set on fire. The children were also targeted but they apparently hid in someone else's house. The guard of the DG’s house has just been arrested with lots of jewellery. Supposedly pro-India. The BSF had expressed agony at his loss.
BD have lost 55 defense officers in ‘71 liberation, over the last two days they have lost many more than that.

2) Brig Gen Abdul Bari, Deputy Dir Gen of BDR

3) Col Gulzar, who played a major role in the anti-JMB operations, used to be in charge of RAB intelligence

4) Col Zahid Hossain, identified by nephew Baktia Sumon.

5) Col Anisuzzaman, identified by relative Dr Atiur Rahman.

6) Col Mujibul Huq, who commanded the Dhaka Sector and headed the emergency government’s Operation Daal-Bhat, was killed at the early stage of the mutiny.

7) Col Abu Musa Ayub Kaiser Ahmed, identified by wife Nusrat Jahan and brother-in-law Zia

8 ) Col Masum (source: nTV)
9) Col Moazzem (source: nTV)
10) Col Emdad (source: nTV)
11) Col Elahi (source: nTV)
12) Col Moshiur (source: nTV)
13) Col Lotifur Rahman (source: nTV)
14) Col Lobibur Rahman (source: nTV)
15) Col Nakib (source: nTV)
16) Col Haider (source: channel i)

17) Lt Col Enayet, commander of 36 Battalion, was found alongside Col Mujibul Huq’s body.
18) Lt Col Ehsan (source: nTV)
19) Lt Col Ensad (source: nTV)
20) Lt Col Delwar (source: nTV)
21) Lt Col Lutfor Rahman (source: channel i)
22) Lt Col Reza (source: channel i)
23) Lt Col Rakib (source: channel i)

24) Major Masum (source: nTV and channel i)
25) Major Rafiq (source: nTV and channel i)
26) Major Khalid (source: nTV and channel i)
27) Major Mahbub (source: channel i)
28) Major Aziz Haider (source: nTV and channel i)

29) Capt Mazharul Haider, , identified by brother Mahbul Haider. Served as a staff officer to the director general (DG) of BDR. He completed training in Tucson, Arizona last year. His wife Nushrat Nur Badhon, daughter of the present Inspector General of Police (IGP) Nur Mohammad, was rescued from the BDR headquarters at Pilkhana late on Wednesday night.

“..the ADC of the BDR dg’s body was found today in haribag, his face was completely mutilated, in order to avoid identification. He tried to save the DG and that’s why he was killed right away…"
30) Capt Masum (source: channel i)

31) Kasem Majumdar
32) Hridoy Mia
33) Tariq Aziz

Vipul · Post by **Vipul** » 27 Feb 2009 23:43

Betrayal and slaughter.

Major General Shakil Ahmed, the chief of Bangladesh Rifles, and his wife have been killed in the mutiny that briefly spiralled out of Dhaka but ended this evening after a show of force by rolling tanks.

As many as 56 of the 72 army officers deputed to the Bangladesh border force are feared to have been gunned down by the mutineers who rebelled over pay disputes. However, the official toll has been put at 14 — eight officers and six civilians.

The murder of Ahmed’s wife stood out for betrayal and brutality: a personal security guard emptied his gun on her in the family’s quarters inside the BDR complex, highly placed sources told The Telegraph. “Her body was put in a jeep and the vehicle was set ablaze,” a witness said in Dhaka.

The treachery carried echoes of another subcontinental tragedy — the assassination of Indira Gandhi who was gunned down by her bodyguards.

Reports reaching New Delhi said one of Ahmed’s two daughters was also killed along with her mother. But another version in Dhaka said the daughters escaped because they were in a school outside the compound, writing examinations. The Telegraph could not confirm either version independently.

By the time the wife fell to the bullets of the guard, probably a runner who took care of errands, the major general himself had been shot by a sepoy in a fit of rage, according to multiple sources in Dhaka as well as Delhi.

So many officers were present at the border force headquarters in Dhaka because the BDR Week was being celebrated. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had inaugurated the celebrations on Tuesday — the event ironically setting the stage for the worst crisis to confront her since storming to power two months ago.

A day before that, disgruntled soldiers of the BDR met Ahmed and some of his juniors — all army officers on deputation to the BDR — and urged them to raise their grievances with Hasina at or after the function. Some even asked that Ahmed should do so in his speech.

These grievances were over salaries, perquisites (better living conditions) and greater opportunities for deployment in UN missions. But Ahmed did not raise these issues, at least in public, prompting one person to ask Hasina abruptly why the BDR was being discriminated against.

Tempers flared up because the day before, Hasina had lauded the army’s role in restoring democracy and announced a hefty raise for the military — something the aggrieved BDR was also expecting.

Accounts of what happened after Hasina left vary. One version suggests the person who raised the question was disciplined soon after but others said the flashpoint came the following morning.

On February 25, during the daily morning parade when Ahmed was taking the salute, one trooper raised his voice and asked the chief why he did not take up the BDR’s grievances with Hasina.

Ahmed told the soldier to “fall out” and asked a junior officer to punish him. According to one account, the trooper was to be put into the doghouse — a small confined space where he would roil in the sun. In another account, he was to carry a recoilless gun or a rifle over his head and run several rounds around the courtyard till his legs felt like jelly and his arms limp.

A comrade could not take this. Soldiers at parade to give the salute to the superior are not usually armed unless they are ready to go into action. The comrade ran to the corner where arms were stockpiled, pulled out a pistol, scurried back and, in a fit of rage, pumped the major general with bullets in the courtyard.

But mutineers who came out this evening claimed that Ahmed opened fire on the sepoy who questioned him, triggering the mutiny.

In minutes, the courtyard was showered with bullets, some from pistols, some from recoilless guns manned in twos and threes and, later, aimed at helicopters.

Some men manned mortars. Shells littered the streets of Dhanmandi and New Market. A rickshawpuller was killed. So were Colonel Mujibul Haq, once a leader of the simply named Operation Dal Bhaat in the Dhaka sector, and Lt Colonel Enayet, the commander of the 36 Battalion.

The rebels held out for several hours even after Hasina offered a general amnesty last evening, insisting that the army be withdrawn and they would surrender only to one of their superiors.

Eventually, the government asked Subedar Major Mohammad Touhid, said to be the senior-most in the original border force cadre, to accept the arms.

By then, Hasina had gone on air to warn of tough measures. “We don’t want to use force,” Hasina said. “But don’t play with our patience. We will not hesitate to do whatever is needed to end the violence….”

She also sent in tanks as another persuasive measure. Twenty tanks and 15 armoured vehicles with heavy machine guns from the ninth division — notorious for its role in coups — rumbled into Dhaka, taking up positions in residential neighbourhoods around the BDR complex.

The mutineers then hoisted a white flag and completed the surrender by late evening.

Before the surrender, unrest broke out in several parts of Bangladesh, possibly whipped up by the hardline Jamaat-e-Islami. At least three BDR commanding officers were reportedly shot dead in Rajshahi, Satkhira and Teknaf.

Sources said Touhid could be holding fort for the time being but eventually an army officer of the rank of major general would be given charge of the border force.

However, in future, the officer cadre of the BDR would be sourced from the State Armed Police, a force meant for emergencies.

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 28 Feb 2009 00:06

Points to the suspicion that violence was spread by recruits done over the last few years.

Army and Rab rescuers yesterday discovered a mass grave on the premises of BDR headquarters and recovered bodies of 38 army officers including the slain director general of the paramilitary force. Three more bodies were found dumped in manholes. With these, the casualty count in the 33-hour soldier mutiny rose to 62. Of those retrieved dead, 18 were too badly decomposed to be identified immediately.

As of filing this report, rescuers were yet to trace 50 plus officers and the late BDR chief's wife. Meanwhile, the government yesterday appointed Brigadier General Moinul Hossain as DG of the embattled force. Reorganising BDR and restoring its chain of command would be his first job. The scale of savagery the mass grave brought to light yesterday left the nation numb with grief. Rescuers fear there might be more mass graves at Pilkhana.

“From the way the bodies looked I'd say many of them [slain army officials] were first shot and then bayoneted to death,” said Major Momtajur Rahman of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab). The body of DG major general Shakil Ahmed was pitted with bullet holes and bayonet charges. Many of the bodies were in briefs as uniforms of the officers were found littering the lawn inside BDR HQ. The mass grave was dug behind the mortuary of BDR Hospital. It is around a kilometre off Darbar Hall, where the mutiny began Wednesday morning during an assembly of BDR officials and jawans. “We have information that the bodies were carried there by two trucks,” added Major Momtaj.

A group of armed border troops spearheaded the acts of mindless violence. They said they were looking for better pay, withdrawal of army leadership from BDR and punishment to Shakil Ahmed for “corruption in Daal-Bhat programme”. But now as the scale of brutalities emerges it seems the mutiny might have been instigated by some unseen forces. According to rescuers, the signs committed by the mutineers remind them of genocide of 1971.

“Officers' houses were looted. The two-storey residence of the DG was left in ruins. We have seen trails of blood down to the ground floor there,” said a rescuer who would not speak on record. The mutineers ransacked and burned the house of slain Colonel Mujibul Haq. They burned out a good number of private cars belonging to BDR officials. “We suspect some of those missing were killed and burnt to ashes,” he said adding that their suspicion is based on information shared by some BDR jawans who opted to stay put after the mutiny ended Thursday evening.

Around 300 jawans are now inside the headquarters. They claim they did not participate in the mutiny or any brutalities. “But they were forced to cooperate with the main culprits,” said the rescuer. “They did not try to escape as they felt the army won't do them any harm once the mutiny was over,” he continued. Another rescuer who had talked to one such “involuntary mutineer”, told The Daily Star, “It seems the main group had a plan chalked out long ago. Those who committed the atrocities were young soldiers recruited in the last few years. They received huge sums from somewhere, and did not care much about their career.”

Though police took control of the BDR headquarters Thursday, army and Rab practically took it over from 10am yesterday. Army moved in with armoured personnel carriers (APCs) and took hold of the four entrances. At around 12:30 pm, army rescue squads recovered huge Arges grenades, machine guns and ammunition and a mortar from atop the arch of BDR main gate at Jhigatala. Other rescuers said they found arms and ammunition scattered all over Pilkhana. Even some arms were found in ponds.

Arms were also found just outside the BDR headquarter. “We believe some mutineers escaped with small arms,” said a rescuer. All the recovered arms were taken to the armoury, which is being taken care of by Police. From morning yesterday, people crowded the BDR gates and rescue operation spots outside the BDR compound. Anxious relatives of missing army officers and personnel were seen waiting with tears in their eyes repeatedly asking the persons inside the gates if the missing ones have been found. Some of them resented the failure to save their relatives.

Lt Col Sajjad's wife was seen lying almost unconscious on the pavement in front of the BDR main gate at about 12:30 pm. She was mumbling, “They (authorities) must let me know whether he is alive or dead.” Later, the body of Sajjad was recovered from the mass grave at around 5:00 pm. The unrest at different BDR outposts across the country calmed down yesterday. At Kurigram outpost, three officers whom the jawans had been taken hostage on Thursday were released yesterday. They were sent to Rangpur cantonment.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/n ... ?nid=77743

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 28 Feb 2009 00:09

Wow
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/n ... ?nid=77748

The mutiny in Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) was spearheaded by a group of 20 to 25 non-commissioned soldiers who forced others to take up guns and participate in the savagery that followed, according to information shared by surviving officers and some fleeing mutineers. They said the small group of leaders, all of whom were based in Pilkhana BDR Headquarters, carried out all the mindless killings, most of which took place between 9:00am and 11:00am on Wednesday.

As soon as the first shot was fired, some of the rebel leaders armed themselves and locked the officers inside Darbar Hall at gunpoint, while some others rushed to the residence of the BDR director general and other officers. Some went to the arms depot and broke open its doors. Then they forced other soldiers present in Pilkhana to take up arms as well, many of whom were there that day from battalions outside Dhaka, on the occasion of the BDR Week. "If you don't take up arms and join us, you will be shot," a leader of the mutiny was quoted by a soldier, who like many others fled the headquarters on Thursday.

He said the majority of the soldiers were against the killing of so many officers. "There were arguments between the mutiny leaders and other soldiers about the killings. Many tried to convince the leaders that all officers are not bad. But the leaders were furious," he said. Another soldier said many of the soldiers felt deprived and were angry about the role of some top officers, whom they branded as corrupt. "There was no argument about the fate of the corrupt persons," he said adding some soldiers were also killed as they tried to stop the killings.

The soldiers said most of them broke down in tears seeing so many dead bodies of officers, scattered at different places in the compound. Initially many bodies were dumped in sewers. The wholesale killing prompted them to flee the headquarters, the soldiers added. They also said there was no specific leader of the mutiny. All soldiers of the small leading group seemed to be the leaders in the brutality. They said a few officers were able to come out alive from Pilkhana, because many of the soldiers protested when the mutiny leaders wanted to kill them.

While narrating the horrible deeds that went on inside Darbar Hall, Lt Col Syed Kamruzzaman, who survived the killing spree, said he was saved by 'a few good soldiers'. "They took me to another place and kept me hidden from the others," he said at a media briefing in the army staff college officers' mess in Mirpur Cantonment. As the mutineers heard a rumour that the army could storm Pilkhana, the small group of leaders ordered the soldiers to bring out four armoured personnel carriers (APC). "They pointed their guns at us and ordered us to operate the APCs," said a soldier, who was present in Pilkhana during the mutinee. The unwilling mutineers also had to take positions at different points to face any retaliation.

Some of the soldiers also said the mutiny bosses forced them to dig a mass grave behind the BDR mortuary Wednesday evening and dumped the bodies of dead officers in it. "I saw three trucks with bodies parked there and some jawans were digging a ditch," said a soldier, who had hidden an officer inside a bathroom to save him. "There were many soldiers who tried to save the officers and their families in many ways," he added. Major Firoz, who survived the mutiny, told The Daily Star that some soldiers helped his pregnant wife to leave Pilkhana on Thursday morning. "She became ill and they were kind enough to let her go outside."

Killers dug a hole and dumped 39 bodies of the officers of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) during the 33-hour mutiny of border guards at its headquarters in the city. The mutineers buried the army officers deputed to BDR, including BDR Director General Major General Shakil Ahmed, in the mass grave after the gruesome killing, apparently to hide their brutality. The hole, which is around 12 feet in length, 10 feet wide and 15 feet deep, is located on the eastern side of the BDR hospital. The rescuers found the bodies dumped haphazardly in the hole.

It was hard to identify many of the bodies as mutinous BDR men fired innumerable shots on the bodies and also charged bayonets to vent their anger. Among the deceased officials, BDR DG Maj Gen Shakil received seven bullets in different parts of his body, including his arms, chest and head. One of his eyes was also gouged out.

Anwar Hossain, a sweeper of Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) who assisted the rescuers, told The Daily Star, "I got stinky smell and requested the rescue officials to step forward. Later, they dug a place where they unearthed the mass graveyard." Personnel from Bangladesh Army and Rab conducted the body recovery operation while the members of Fire Service and Civil Defence and DCC staff accompanied them.

Anwar said he also found three bodies dumped into two manholes inside the BDR headquarters. A witness to the operation said the undressed bodies were dumped first inside the hole as these bodies were found at bottom of the hole while the uniformed bodies were found above. Some rescuers suspected that the killers undressed many of the officials during dumping. At one stage, they dumped the bodies in uniform as they buried the bodies in a hurry.

Commander SMAK Azad, director legal and media wing of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) who was present during the recovery operation, told The Daily Star, "It is difficult to identify the bodies, as the bodies were decomposed after burial." He said one of the officials sent him a message while he was trapped in a room. Witnesses said 16 bodies were found undressed while others in BDR uniform among the recovered bodies. It was difficult to identify the bodies of uniformed BDR men, as there were no badges on the uniform. Sources said some officials removed their badges from the uniform to save themselves during the attack. Many officers took shelter inside manholes and drains but they could not save themselves.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/n ... ?nid=77756

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 28 Feb 2009 00:15

The Izlamists have dug their own grave -- the BDR is also finished eas a force. Its going to be purged along with the rest of 71 barbarians.

There must be action by the govt and immediately -- they should also call in Indian help covertly first and then overtly.

Raju · Post by **Raju** » 28 Feb 2009 00:20

What TE said are true, and are similar to what the Pakis did. Unfortunately, there were even worse things done that only happen in riots. Guantanamo on female. One older woman, I won't say who, was brutally tortured, raped, violated with bayonet and beaten to death naked.

60+ officers' wives were gang raped in the officers' mess. They are afraid to come forward to save the rest of their lives. Some of them will, after the initial grieving process.

Army officers, not just the chief who is rapidly losing his internal support, is at the PM with their demands. They will tell her about their findings and see where she stands. Critical night at Dhaka.

If anyone watched the news on ATN Bangla and Ekushey that covered todays janaza, you would have seen the officer in the white panjabi shouting himself hoarse in front of the cameras "Amadero ki maa bon nai? Amader bachar ki odhikar nai?"

That was just the tip of the iceberg. Just spoke to a friend who is from a military family. Apparently many officers, mostly mid rank like Lt. Cols, Majors and Cols accosted Gen. Moeen at the janaza as to why he sat talking to politicians while their coursemates were ritually murdered! Especially when their armoured, signals, infantry, para commandos, even the air force was mobilised and waiting for order to move in. Moeen himself was scared and apparently left the janaza as soon as possible. Mr. AMA Muhit (Finance Minister) and other Members of Parliament were allegedly sworn and shouted at for letting this happen to 150 of their fellow officers. My father had also mentioned this sort of thing today earlier.

Tensions among these ranks is REALLY high and on a knife edge right now. The officers want blood in their hands, and if not blood, they want control. In hindsight, now they hope that they would have been able to save at least one or two executions perhaps if they moved in early. The DOHS people are muttering that this is ideal breeding ground for a coup against the chief for being so patient at his own officers' expense. They would do anything to just move out of their camps and do whatever they have to to the remaining jaowans. How much more will they be humiliated by being frustrated and sitting without orders??

And yet, the whole army is united now. United at seeking retribution. Nobody now is blaming DGFI, NSI, MI for their colossal failures.

These are of course discussions, perhaps even rumours. But behind every lie there is some truth. And it is contextually very understandable. I hope we get by tonight and tomorrow night, without another oghoton coming up inside the army, born out of their continuing sense of humiliation and frustration.

negi · Post by **negi** » 28 Feb 2009 00:46

This is what happens when one follows age old the British system while constituting or even managing the paramilitary or even the armed forces.

ASPuar · Post by **ASPuar** » 28 Feb 2009 01:02

The Master General of Ordnance in the Bangladesh Army is one Major General Arun Kumar Chakma.

http://www.army.mil.bd/index5.php?category=27

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 28 Feb 2009 01:10

^^^ Seems like the website does not get updated regularly, Wiki is far better than that.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangladesh_Army

Chief of General Staff of Bangladesh Army Maj Gen Sina Ibn Jamali was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General on Sunday. Commissioned on May 8, 1977, in the Infantry Regiment of Bangladesh Army, General Jamali has been awarded the 'CAS Cane' for his outstanding performance as cadet in the Bangladesh Military Academy, said an ISPR press release yesterday.

Besides, he also served as the instructor of Defense Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC), chief instructor of War Course Wing of National Defense College (NDC), commander of Infantry Brigade, Director of Military Operations Directorate at AHQ, Adjutant General of AHQ and General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 24 Infantry Division. He is also acting as the president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2008/12/22/all0402.htm

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 28 Feb 2009 01:28

Bangladesh Rifles mutiny ends, mystery remains

In New Delhi, Indian intelligence officials told CNN-IBN that it was hard to believe that grievances over salaries could result in such violence.They point fingers at the hard-line Jamaat-e-Islami and Salauddin Kader Choudhary, advisor to former prime minister Khaleda Zia for orchestrating much of the drama.

Nesoj · Post by **Nesoj** » 28 Feb 2009 01:31

Mystery of the 2 Foreigners Solved

http://bdnews24.com/details.php?id=77356&cid=2

Two Chinese women came out at around 5pm. They refused to speak to reporters, but their travel bag tags showed their names as Xang and Tang Yun Peng and had Feb. 4 stamped as their arrival date in Bangladesh.

Now what were the Chinese women doing inside the BDR HQ ?

g.sarkar · Post by **g.sarkar** » 28 Feb 2009 01:34

Someone was asking for translation of a Bangladeshi article from "Naya Diganta". Here is a quick translation. Not a good one, written badly/hurriedly with not much substance:

"Naya Diganta 27th Feb,2009

Before the revolution, whole night meeting: intelligence network was built up.
(By)Abu Saleh Akan
Last night the jawans of the BDR held meeting that went on for the whole night. Who will be where, who will take what position and who will take action was decided at that time. According to the plan, everyone went to their positions in the morning. It was the responsibility of Subedar Shahid to start off the incident in the Durbar Hall. Before this at 7 am, they had looted weapons from the armory. One Jawan who wants to remain anonymous, said that even though they had a long history of unmet demands, they had suffered the most during the last two years of the care-taker government, and had hopes of placing these demands on the elected government. Their plan was that if the BDR DG Major General Shakil Ahmed did notplace these demands in front of the Prime Minister, then they would create chaos in the marching field itself. But this was opposed by a group that supported the government. As they were afraid that they would become divided, they decided not to bring up the matter during the march past, but to mutiny in the evening and to attack the different officer’s rest houses and taking them prisoners and then putting up the demands. But after marching all day, they did not get time to talk and plan the action. Also, everyone was tired, so it was decided to mutiny the next day. To realize their plans, they divided themselves up into groups. It was then decided that the action was to be kept a closely guarded secret, otherwise the governing persons would not have come to the Durbar Hall function on Wednesday. Source said that the Durbar Hall meeting was stated to start at 7 am. But due to organizational delays it started at 9 am. The delay was caused so that everyone could prepare for the action. 174 people had already come to the Sadar daftar for the march past. They were joined by another 40 from outside. At every gate extra people were put on duty. The armory was already looted at 7 am without any of the officers knowing. As planned, in the morning under the leadership of Sahid 3 people entered the Durbar Hall, they were later joined by 4-5 others. As the DG started his statement, Shahid stood up and brought up the topic of “Dal-Bhat” and the profit-losses regarding this. Seeing this the DG stopped, and at this moment, as planned the attackers went for him. Before the organizers realized what was happening, many people were dead or wounded. The organizers of this meeting could not have even imagined this.
The source said that as planned the wireless system was also taken under control in the morning. The had also built up an intelligence network among themselves. Once the incident started in the Durbar Hall, wireless message was sent to all, so that all could follow orders. Their plan was if there was any trouble, they would escape using the Gate No.5. That is why they gave local people a chance to come in through this gate, bringing in food and other essentials. If they were not able to continue with the mutiny, the plan was then to leave through this gate and disappear among the population. All this was planned on Tuesday. The common jawans were able to realize this plan, but the intelligence organizations were in the dark."
Gautam

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 28 Feb 2009 01:38

Seems like RAW has come to the conclusion that it is the Razakar issue that is the cause for this mayhem: Two dated reports
http://bidrohy.com/saka.html

http://chottala.blogspot.com/2008/07/ch ... dings.html

The country burst into protest when Gulam Azam, the prime collaborator of the 1971 Pakistani occupation forces and war criminal, was made Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh on 29 January 1991. The fanatic party violated the country's constitution and undermined once again the spirit of the liberation war by announcing a Pakistani citizen, Azam, the Ameer of its party. As the government was unconcerned about the matter, country's renowned personalities have came together and formed a committee to resist the collaborators and uphold the spirit of the liberation war i.e. secular democracy. Jahanara Imam was made chief of the organisation.

Based on the investigation report on March 26, 1992, Golam was found guilty on ten specific counts that are eligible for capital punishment by a public-trial at Sarwardi Uddyan. Then, the movement against fundamentalism geared up with an intensified demand of banning on the fascist fundamentalist politics of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh and other radicals. The people's Inquiry Commission was formed in March 1993 in this direction.

The commission on the first phase decided to investigate allegations of criminal activities of eight well known war criminals and come up with major disclosure on March 26, 1994 at a public rally. On the second phase the commission decided to continue investigation against eight more notorious persons 1) S A M Solaiman, 2) Salahuddin Kader Chowdhury, 3) Maolana Abdus Sobhan, 4) Maolana AKM Yusuf, 5) Mohammad Aen-ud-din, 6) Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, 7) ABM Khaleque Majumder and Dr. Syed Sajjad Hossain.

g.sarkar · Post by **g.sarkar** » 28 Feb 2009 02:54

Sanku wrote:The Izlamists have dug their own grave -- the BDR is also finished eas a force. Its going to be purged along with the rest of 71 barbarians.

Have they dug their grave or are they digging the grave of the secular forces? This sounds too easy. BDR is finished, or will be after a purge. That will leave BDA the only armed force left in the country. So, the PM will have no choice but to depend entirely on BDA, and hope they do not attempt another coup against the elected government. Now, BDR rebels were not officers but ordinary soldiers and NCOs. The officers were from the army. It is clear that a poorly armed and poorly led group of soldiers are no match for any regular army. The moment the army showed with tanks, BDR surrendered. So, why did they kill indiscriminately? This made it a point of no return for them and a legetimate target for army anger. Were they paid money to kill the officers? Does it mean that they were encouraged to do so, thereby leaving no choice for Sheikh Hasina but to back the army unconditionaly in future?
Gautam

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 28 Feb 2009 02:54

Eerie parallels all over the place
1) Disobeying chain of command -- 1971
2) Mass murder, mud-pits, drainage -- 1971
3) Selective targeting of vital people -- Mumbai

Zia-ur Rehman's mutiny was echoed in military garrisons all over occupied Bangladesh and Bengali military officers started revolting against the military chain of command and took up arms against Pakistani forces. This massive defection in regular military forces withing 24-48 hours of initiation of an invasion and launching of a full scale guerrilla war within weeks is unprecedented in human history. Similarly this phenomenon ( of this mass mutiny in military ranks) was beyond imagination of the planners of the West Pakistani military campaign and the west Pakistan forces never could recover from this miscalculation.

More on the trails of Saka

In "The Killing Fields & Torture Center of Chittagong", Sakhawat Hossein Mojnu talks about the incidents at Goods Hill: "Goods Hill in Chittagong became the site of a torture center during Bangladesh's liberation war. At the direction of the Pakistan army, people suspected to support the Bengali liberation war were arrested and brought here to be tortured. They would be hung from the ceilings and beaten. Omar Faruk, a famous freedom fighter during the liberation struggle, was tortured to death in Goods Hill. It was rumored that Salauddin Quader Chowdhury was directly involved in helping to run this center."

In another book, "The Background of Bengali Freedom War", Mahbub-Ul-Alam transcribed the testimony of Mr Nijamuddin of Chittagong:
"Nijamuddin was released from Chittagong jail on November 18. He said, I was caught on July 5 by the paramilitary. I was taken to Fazlul Kader. There, I was tied up and beaten with sticks and rods by Fazlul Kader's son Salauddin Quader, and his followers. After five hours of beatings, I passed out."

Prominent among Salauddin Quader's alleged victims was Nathun Chandra
Singha. This incident is particularly significant because there were several eyewitnesses who later filed a case against Salahuddin Kader. Nathun Chandra Singha was a renowned personality of Chittagong, and founder of both the Sri Kundeshyari Pharmacy and the Kundeshyari School. Mr. Singha was also a Hindu, which was particularly relevant to the incident since the Pakistani army and their collaborators were known to single out non-Muslims for execution. This was based on the propaganda that the "non-believers" were behind the "troubles" in East Pakistan (Bangladesh).

According to the case filed by eyewitnesses, Salahuddin Kader is alleged to have led the killing of Professor Nathun Chandra Singha. After the Pakistani army crackdown began in 1971, 47 University professors took refuge at Mr. Singha's school. Later, when the army took control of Chittagong, these professors escaped to India. Nathun Singha's family also left, but he stayed behind to guard the school compound. On April 13, four tanks and two jeeps arrived at the Kundeshyari Bhavan. Eyewitnesses report that Salauddin Quader was sitting in one of these jeeps. Singha welcomed the officers and explained the work of the school to them. The officers appeared to be satisfied with the explanation and were about to leave. It is alleged
that Salauddin Quader then intervened and said, "My father has ordered
that the malaun (malaun is a slur against Hindus) Nathun Chandra and his sons must be killed." After hearing this, a Pakistani Major sitting in the jeep shot Nathun Chandra three times, who died instantly." [Source: The Killers & Collaborators of 1971: Where Are They Now?; Mukthijuddha Chethona Bikash Kendra]

After the Pakistan army's surprise defeat in December 1971, the collaborators tried to escape from Bangladesh. One of the escapees was Salauddin Quader's father, Fazlul Quader Chowdhury. Fazlul Kader was
captured trying to cross the border into Burma--he later died in jail. Salauddin Quader then became the target of two separate cases. The first case was filed by Nathun Chandra Singha's son Satyaranjan Singha, along with twelve witnesses. The case numbered FIR U/S/302/129(13)/298/BPC started hearings on January 29, 1972. Among the accused were Salahuddin Kader and five others, all of whom were absconding. A second case was also filed against Salauddin Quader--this one by Sheikh Muhammad Jahangir. In this case, Sheikh Jahangir charged that his father Sheikh Mujaffar and brother Sheikh Alamgir were picked up by a group of men, led by Salauddin Quader, on April 17 1971. These men were then taken to the Pakistani army camp at Hathajari--their bodies were never found.

With two war crimes cases against him, how did Salauddin Quader escape
punishment and rise to such heights today? The answer lies in Bangladesh's corrupt and compromised political history. Each political party in Bangladesh had a hand in the slow rehabilitation of the war criminals of 1971. The process began soon after independence. Bangladesh's first Prime Minister Sheikh Mujib had a personal friendship with Salauddin Quader's father Fazlul Quader. Salauddin Quader was able to parlay this friendship, and the fact that his father died mysteriously in jail, into new opportunities for himself. The war crimes cases against him ran into mysterious roadblocks and stalled. In an astonishing reversal of fortune, Sheikh Mujib then granted Salahuddin Kader a permit to take over his father's business.
Fazlul Quader's business had been seized by the government in retaliation against his alleged war crimes in 1971--now control of the business passed to his son, another alleged war criminal.

Supported by successive governments, Salauddin Quader's business became very successful. Today, he is one of Bangladesh's wealthiest men. Add to this his political cunning in allying with any political party in power, and we begin to understand how he became Bangladesh's nominee for OIC Secretary General. After the 1975 assassination of Mujib, the military government of General Zia took over. With Zia's support, Salauddin Quader was elected to Parliament from the Muslim League. When Zia was also assassinated in 1981, General Ershad took over and Salauddin Quader became a Minister in the Ershad government. A decade later, when popular anger against General Ershad exploded into the streets, Salauddin Quader quickly left the government and formed a new party NDA/NDP.

After Ershad's fall, Salauddin Quader switched sides rapidly. He worked first with the Awami League (AL), and then joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Salauddin Quader soon took leadership of a right-wing faction within the BNP, but was ousted after an internal struggle. This setback was very brief. During the next election, he was welcomed back into the party--a tribute to his wealth, which would help him win a parliament seat for the BNP. Under the present BNP government, Salauddin Quader has risen to become the Prime Minister's Parliamentary Affairs Advisor. And from this powerful position, he is now Bangladesh's official candidate for Chairman of the OIC.

Since the OIC nomination was announced, a firestorm of controversy has
enveloped Bangladesh. All the leading newspapers have run reports on
Salauddin Quader's alleged war crimes in 1971. In retaliation, he has
brought lawsuits against the editors of the nation's three leading newspapers--The Daily Star, Prothom Alo and Janakantha. Bangladesh has
already had the distinction of being listed in Reporters Sans Frontieres' annual report for having an alarming number of attacks on the press in 2002. Now in an acceleration of press censorship, the BNP government has gone on the warpath against the newspapers for their reports on Salauddin Quader. All three newspaper editors have been threatened with arrest and intimidation. A chilling fear has descended in newsrooms--many are now afraid to speak out against the nomination.

But not everyone is cowed into silence. An international petition opposing the nomination has been collecting hundreds of signatures from Bengalis all over the world. Condemnation letters are coming in from many Bangladeshi organizations. 1971 is not "ancient history," as some claim today. There are many who remember Salauddin Quader and what he represents. In a fiery report, the Weekly 2000 magazine laid out the case against Salauddin Quader, exploding any claim to legitimacy: "Who is Salauddin Quader Chowdhury? What is his identity? The man who didn't believe in Bangladesh's existence, who opposed our creation thirty years ago, who attacks our culture today, how can he represent Bangladesh? How will he represent Bangladesh on the world stage? Do you (the government) have any answers for us?"

http://www.mombu.com/culture/bangladesh ... 10145.html

Some of the Razakars and the constituencies they represented in the latest elections
Chief Razakars not contesting:
Golam Azam, Maudud Ahmed, Gias Kamal Chowdhury, Anwar Zahid, Osman Faruq, Mahbub Ullah, Aftab Ahmed, Forhad Mazhar

1. Pabna 1 - Maolana Motiur Rahman Nizami
2. Faridpur 3 - Ali Ahsan Md. Mujahid
3. Chittagong 2 and 6 - Salahuddin Kader Chowdhury
4. Chittagong 5 - Giasuddin Kader Chowdhury
5. Sherpur 1 - Mohammed Kamruzzaman
6. Pirojpur 1 - Delwar Hossain Sayeedi
7. Khulna 5 - Mia Golam Parwar
8. Mymensingh 10 - Fazlur Rahman Sultan
9. Shatkhira 2 - Mohammed Abdul Khaleq
10. Shatkhira 3 - Riyasat Ali Bishwash
11. Shatkhira 4 - Gazi Nazrul Islam
12. Sirajganj 4 - Rafiqul Islam Khan
13. Gaibandha 1 - Abu Saleh Md. Abdul Aziz Mia
14. Sylhet - Fariduddin Chowdhury
15. Sylhet 6 - Habibur Rahman
16. Joypurhat 1 - Abdul Alim
17. Bhola 1 - Mosharef Hossain Shahjahan
18. Cox’x Bazar 1 - Enamul Haque Manju
19. Jessor 6 - Maolana Shakhawat Hossain
20. Rangpur 2 - ATM Azharul Islam
21. Khulna 6 - Shah Md. Ruhul Quddus
22. Thakurgaon 2 - Maolana Abdul Hakim
23. Chuadanga 2 - Maolana Habibur Rahman
24. Pabna 5 - Maolana Abdus Subhan

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 28 Feb 2009 03:16

there are BDR jawans bodies have been discovered that we all know (newspapers, BBC,VOA)! and probably some more will be discovered!
apparently these loyal jawans were shot and slaughtered by the culprit criminal jawans when they were trying to protect some of the officers and in the process got into fight with the murderous thugs!

http://www.e-bangladesh.org/2009/02/27/ ... massacare/

A pre-planned attack and pre-meditated murder:
I watched in stunned disbelief as a BDR soldier (I hate the word Jawan–what exactly is that?) justified the mutiny and shooting of the officers in front of TV cameras.

He said that they were upset about the pay disparity between the Army officers who commanded them, and the rank and file BDR. He claimed that the DG’s wife and lots of other corrupt officers stole from the operation Daal-Bhat (a chain of fair-price shops run by the BDR during 2007-2008). He went on to claim that the first shot was fired by an Army officer, and the rest just spontaneously happened.

There are a few major problem with this story. First, we know from accounts form some officers that not all BDR soldiers participated in this, and some of them died while trying to prevent the massacre. We all saw the red bandannas being worn by the attacking faction. This served as a uniform so they could easily identify friend from foe. Second, now we know that the involved soldiers did not turn in their weapons to the ordnance officer after the Prime Minister’s speech and inspection parade, but falsified the storage records to show that they were turned in.

What where they thinking? Insanity? Complete collapse of reason? Why would a group of soldiers start an armed mutiny and killing spree in a campus surrounded by the general population? They had to know that the news would get out quickly, and that they would be vastly outnumbered by the heavy armor of the Army. By all rational thinking, this was nothing but suicidal. If they thought their demands would be met and everything would got back to barracks to just carry on their duties, they were delusional. All possibility of a peaceful resolution disappeared after the first drop of blood was shed.

Again, this was not something that got out of hand–this was planned and designed. I am ruling out mental incompetency–it is possible in one or two people but not for the large group. At least the leaders had to know that there will be no going back from this–their actions will result in court martials. Knowing that, why would the still do this?

The weakest excuse was the demand to have an officer cadre of BDR’s own, and not Army officers sent by deputation. Of all our armed forces, BDR has the most interaction with their counter-parts from India and Myanmar. It is unthinkable that the government would reduce the requirements for becoming an officer (which is now HSC and a 2 year course from Bangladesh Military Academy). Did they think their own officer cadre will be their brothers, and that the soldiers in Bangladesh Army enjoy some cozy relationship with their officers?

The leaders of this massacare had no chance of becoming officers in the BDR. When the Army officers came to BDR, they became BDR officers–plain and simple, and I don’t buy that excuse for a minute.

Motivated by money, protesting against the oppression by and corruption of the Army? I don’t think so. People do not take on a suicidal course of action for money. However, I am not ruling out some fanatical elements, or even the influence of mind-altering drugs.

Government knew the extent of the killings soon enough. The Darbar (a open forum–from the colonial times, where the commanding officer hears questions and grievances from the soldiers) started at 9 AM on February 25th, the 2nd day of BDR Week. There were about 3000 soldiers and 165 officers in the hall. After the shooting started around 9:30 AM, one of the officers present, a Major Zayedi, called Maj Gen (Rtd.) Tarique Siddik, the prime ministers security advidser and described the scene.

Unexplained brutality. We saw dead bodies that were beyonett charged. Dead bodies where hacked into pieces and dumped into sewers. There are unconfirmed reports of the DG’s wife being burned alive. There are reports of rape of women, substantiated by the TV images of women coming out in torn clothing. This is from the notes of the son of an Army officer, who wrote from Dhaka:

Wives of the BDR officers (yes, they were BDR officers) were scared to death after they heard about the massacre at Dorbar Hall. They started breaking into quarters and looting around 12.30 pm. They dragged many women and girls with them. I don’t want to explain any farther.Most of them didn’t know that their father or husband is already dead. But what they didn’t know something even more uglier is about to happen. I would’ve write this whole thing in full details but there are some people I know who will never forgive me if I do so. But these are truths, please try to except it. As I did.

Why this inhuman behavior? Forget Geneva convention–every soldier knows that he might face an enemy in the battlefield, and abusing a dead enemy is simply not done. So why did they beyonett the dead officers? Why did they cut them up? Surely they were not dumb enough to think they can just hide the evidence and claim the officers were never there in the first place? I don’t even want to contemplate the burning alive (regardless of her alleged crimes) or rapes.

Soldiers are trained to kill–that is part of their job description. But this defies all explanation.

The 4:00 PM Deadline: The following is from one of the people involed in the negotiations.
Gen Moeen came to the PM’s residence around 10:30. He was joined by the Navy and Air chiefs around 11:30. By 12:30, everyone in Jamuna (PM’s current residence) knew that more than 10 officers were already dead, and the others may be killed any time soon. Gen. Moeen informed the PM that the situation in the cantonment was getting explosive: Army officers there were not going to sit idle as their brother officers were being killed. He said that if things didn’t improve by 4:00 PM, the situation may get out of control. This is when the PM asked for 12 volunteers to go in and negotiate.

Jahangir Nanak and Mirza Azam, and other brave men and women. Nanak and Azam were the first to respond, and went into the battle-zone. Nanak returned with a team of 14 BDR soldiers to the PMs residence, but Mirza Azam was kept as a hostage by the rebels to ensure the safety of the 14.

Later, other MPs, including at least two female MPs, also went into Pilkhana. What these men and women did was above and beyond the call of duty. Specially Mirza Azam: he had to know that elements within the Army may act without permission and detain or kill the 14 BDR soldiers, which would have put his own life in jeopardy.

Amnesty: A group of Bangladeshi bloggers were discussing this online as the events were unfolding. We agreed that announcing the general amnesty was probably necessary to defuse the situation, but at the same time (this is before the extent of the massacre was known) argued that killers simply could not be let go scott free. Here is what Mash said in an email:

Amnesty is a very bad idea. Let’s turn the tables and examine this. Do you want amnesty for Mujib’s killers? I am pretty sure the answer is no. Giving amnesty for pure murder will lead to breakdown of law - as Bangladesh history shows.

That summarizes the sentiment pretty succintly. The answer to pay disparity or corruption by officers is not murder, and murderers can not, should not, be allowed to go free.

I stated that I will personally profer a pen to Sheikh Hasina to sign the order withdrawing the amnesty.

The government has since clarified that statement and said that the amnesty was extended to the general rebels, but anyone involved in the killings will face trial.

Moeen under pressure: Gen. Moeen was under tremendous pressure from junior officers to act with decisive force against the BDR, but he followed the chain of command. We commened Gen. Moeen for this

Hasina–this is leadership. Under tremendous pressure, the PM opted for the difficult path of patience. It would have been easy for her to order the Army to go in to the Pilkhana with their tanks and turn the heart of Dhaka into a war-field, but she kept her head. Finally we see some of the steel and lion-heart that her father had.

Khaleda Zia and BNP: One of the first statements from BNP was that it will work with the government and help it to resolve this issue. Later BNP raised their standard refrain of looking for external enemies (which in this case is an entirely valid demand), and overall, BNP behaved like a responsible opposition is supposed to behave.

Escalation scenario. We now know that Mrs. Zia did not spend the night at her Cantonment residence, so it is obvious she was concerned that this could spread further. One early speculation was that this was engineered by the Army so they could impose marital law in the name of keeping law and order. We could have seen hundreds of dead civilians.

What is going on now. Buses and other transportation are being searched by the Army and RAB, and men with crew-cuts are being dragged out and being taken away. We just hope no vigilante justice is not served on them.

What should have happened. BDR’s demands are not new. They staged a mini-munity during the last BNP tenure, but that was quelled without any blood-shed. But the scale of the 2009 mutiny defies all logic. There is obvious finger-pointing towards the DGFI, NSI and MI–were they all asleep?

We know that DGFI was responsible for the arrest and torture of some of the MPs on both sides of the isle. Knowing that, allow me to present some scenarios, and matching recommendations or comments.

1. DGFI and the other intelligence agencies did not have a clue. Hard to believe, but not impossible. If so, the answer is simple: fire the leadership. That should have been done anyway as soon as Hasina came to power.
2. DGFI and the other intelligence agencies did know, and did warn the government, but it did not reach high enough. Possible, but unlikely. If DGFI knew, they would not have let their brother officers die
3. DGFI and the other agencies knew about this plot, but kept it secret to advance their own agenda, or were involved with the planning themselves. Possible, but unlikely. DGFI can not keep their involvement secret after this massacle
4. DGFI and the other intelligence agencies did know, and did warn the government. The government sat on it in order to discredt DGFI. This is just ridiculous. Again, DGFI would not have just sat back and let other officers die
5. Other theories: RAW did it, because by weakening the BDR, India gains.
6. Ulfa did it, because the government is extraditing Anup Chetia to India
7. ISI did it, because they wanted to stage a full-scale coup and overthrow AL
8. Jamaat did it, because they want to stop the war-crimes trial

But here is my own conclusion (without any documentary evidence): the leaders of the mutiny were promised some sort of immunity deal by someone very high up–someone they had reason to trust and believe who could deliver on his promise. Follow that trail, and the master-minds will be found.

Field-grade officers are explosively angry. Gen. Moeen had a series of meeting with the officers, who are demanding a solution (in other words, an eye for an eye). The Officers are very angry and frustrated, and they didn’t even let the govt officials and ministers to attend the janaja of the first seven officers. Reportedly Abdur Razzak and Tofael Ahmed where man-handled at the Contonment mosque. They are blaming the government for letting the BDR jawans get away.

Was there corruption by the officers? It is well-known, and accepted by most officers, that the 3-year posting to BDR is an opportunity to make a lot of money. Operation Daal-Bhat allegedly resulted in Tk. 40 crore profit that never saw the light of day. Some other snippets from a list of allegations:

* The director general of the BDR has smuggled Tk 30 crore to his mother-in-law’s account in the United States. His wife was caught at the airport, but the whole incident was suppressed
* 22 army officers have embezzled Tk 2 crore of Operation Dal-Bhat through bank signatures of BDR personnel. They embezzled another Tk 60 crore from the profits of Operation Dal-Bhat.
* A relative of the DG went missing with Tk 50 crore of Nur Mohammad Rifles Public School, but the matter was never investigated.
* [Former] director general Rezaqul Haider Chowdhury took away Tk 40 crore and that incident was not investigated either.

(before anyone accuses me of dragging the names of good officers who died, remember that just as corruption does not justify killing, death does not wipe the slate clean either. I am not saying everyone was corrupt, but not investigating the corruptions has no excuse either, and both the CTG and AL has at least some of this blood on their hands)

Next steps: This seems obvious to us, but in the land of politics nothing is as it seems. First, ensure justice. Find those with their hands on the guns, find who did the planning, all the way up the chain. Then try them in an open court martial, with reporters present. The country needs to know how deep and wide the rot is.

Sunlight is the best disinfectant.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 28 Feb 2009 03:40

The mutilations and brutality shows a jihadi mindset. Wonder why?

Werent BSF soldiers bodies simialrly mutilated earlier.

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 28 Feb 2009 03:45

Vid interviews on utube (in Bengali):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TmfeN7gtnk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNPsf5Wu ... re=related

May have been posted here before, I remember reading it somewhere. Posted above by Nesoj, edited post.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090227/j ... 599074.jsp

Yesterday, as two Indian goods trains that make a daily run to Darshana in Bangladesh to transport essential commodities were to enter Bangladesh, there was no one available at the BDR outposts beyond the border pillar to open the massive iron gates that would allow the trains into Bangladesh. The commanding officers of the BDR — actually army officers — had to clang open the gates themselves. Since Sri Lanka, such a venture to Bangladesh would be the first international bilateral peace mission by India. The Indian Peacekeeping Force of the army to Sri Lanka got embroiled in a tragic war and was aborted at enormous cost to life and limb.

For the UPA government in New Delhi and Sheikh Hasina's government in Dhaka, it is a grand statement that local disputes will not be allowed to take bilateral and cultural linkages hostage. Pranab Mukherjee and Sheikh Hasina, personal acquaintances themselves, are understood to be considering the move seriously. They have concluded it is not worth shutting down the train that has meant so much when it was opened on Poila Boishakh last April. It also is an eloquent illustration of Manmohan Singh's message to neighbours that India is willing to give friendly countries a stake in its development. The train is popular with Bangladeshis many of whom visit India for medical care.

Last year, there was a move from a hawkish section of the establishment in New Delhi to stop the train altogether when police alleged the hand of elements of the Harkat ul Jehad Ul Islam, based in Bangladesh, in blasts in Hyderabad. But a determined officer in Dhaka and the ambassador there put up a strong defence of continuing with the service. Of the 538 km between Calcutta and Dhaka, 418 km is in Bangladesh and 120 km is in Bengal (India) but the symbolism it covers is greater than the distance.

In Pioneer,

Is it just a BDR mutiny?
Kanchan Gupta | New Delhi

After the Awami League swept last year’s end-December general election, decimating the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and reducing the Jamaat-e-Islami to two seats in the Jatiya Sansad, there were celebrations across the country. Not only had democracy returned with a bang after being kept in a limbo for nearly two years by the military-backed caretaker Government, the Islamists, who had been on the rampage during Begum Khaleda Zia’s hugely corrupt rule, had been defanged.

As Bangladeshis danced in the streets, with women leading the celebrations, gloom descended on House No. 6, Shaheed Moinul Road, Dhaka Cantonment, the residence of Begum Zia. Meanwhile, the Jamaat-e-Islami headquarters wore a deserted look, its leaders stunned by Islamists losing their deposits in constituencies which were supposed to be Jamaati strongholds. With nearly 86 per cent turnout in an election certified by international observers and the media as absolutely free and fair, neither the BNP nor the Jamaat could claim the poll had been rigged.

The loss of power and being pushed to the margins of Bangladeshi politics meant different things to the BNP and the Jamaat. For Begum Khaleda Zia, a resurgent Awami League with Sheikh Hasina Wajed as Prime Minister meant the Government would continue to investigate the ‘business dealings’ of her sons, Tarique and Koko, and prosecute them for corruption. For the Jamaat-e-Islami, it meant the Government reopening the trial of the 1971 war criminals, among them Jamaat’s chief, Matiur Rahman Nizami, secretary-general Ali Ahsan Mujahid and assistant secretaries-general Abdul Kader Molla and Qamaruzzaman. Along with other razakars, they led armed groups which joined forces with the Pakistani Army to suppress the liberation struggle of 1971, killing civilians and raping women.

The caretaker Government had virtually cleansed the administration of pro-BNP elements; the few that remained were removed by Sheikh Hasina within days of her assuming charge. Begum Zia’s hopes of warding off a robust inquiry and vigorous prosecution of her sons now rested on ‘friends’ in the Bangladeshi Army -- junior and middle-level officers whom she had actively promoted while in power, using her cantonment ‘connections’. As for the Jamaat-e-Islami, its worst fears began coming true with the new Government placing the trial of the 1971 war criminals at the top of its agenda and the Jatiya Sansad adopting a resolution for immediate action on this front. By early-February, the police began arresting those accused of helping the Pakistani Army; in Rajshahi, the daughters and son of a razakar publicly denounced their father, indicating the popular mood in Bangladesh.

On February 14, the Government formally began the process of bringing the razakars to justice by ordering an official investigation into the role of Matiur Rahman Nizami and nine others for “carrying (out a) massacre during the war of independence in 1971”. A worried Jamaat now began to panic. Any hopes the Jamaatis may have had of Islamabad bailing them out by pleading with the Awami League Government were dashed after Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari’s special envoy, Mirza Zia Ispahani, who rushed to Dhaka last week with the message that this was “not the right time for the trial”, had to beat a hasty retreat in the face of outrage and condemnation by both MPs and civil society.

On Tuesday, Sheikh Hasina visited the headquarters of Bangladesh Rifles, popularly referred to as BDR, in Dhaka for a meeting with the top brass of the paramilitary force which is the counterpart of India’s Border Security Force. During the meeting, she made three points: First, her Government would not tolerate either extremism or terrorism within the country and the BDR had to step up its vigil along the border (especially in the south and the north-west); second, she would not allow Bangladeshi soil to be used for launching terrorist attacks on any country (implying India); and, third, she expected the BDR to put a stop to smuggling activities, possibly referring to trafficking in women and children for which Dhaka is coming under increasing pressure of global watchdog bodies. Sheikh Hasina left nobody at the meeting in any doubt that her Government meant business and she expected the BDR to deliver. The message may have been for the BDR, but the senior officers present on the occasion were all from the Army who had been deputed to the paramilitary force. In a sense, she was also putting the Army on watch.

On Wednesday, 24 hours after the Prime Minister’s visit, BDR personnel stormed their headquarters, took senior officers and students at a campus school hostage, and positioned themselves for a siege. Ostensibly, they were provoked by the officers not taking up their long-pending demand for higher wages and better service conditions with Sheikh Hasina. The mutineers ran amok, shooting at their officers and civilians. There are conflicting reports of subsequent events. Hospital sources have said 10 people, including three civilians, were killed in the firing. A junior Minister in the Government has pegged the death toll at 50. Sheikh Hasina’s first response was to take a soft line: She promised the mutineers they would be granted a general amnesty and not punished for their deed, provided they laid down their arms and surrendered.

But till Thursday morning, the mutineers remained unmoved, prompting Sheikh Hasina to toughen her stand, demand that the men should immediately surrender, and threaten that she would be “bound to take any step in the interest of the country”. Simultaneously, she ordered the Army to move into the BDR headquarters. By late Thursday evening, the mutineers had laid down arms and surrendered, and the police had taken control of the BDR headquarters.

It is not yet known how many of the BDR’s 42,000 men in 64 camps across Bangladesh actually joined the mutiny and turned on their officers. But such details are really not relevant. What is of import is that the Government should have been caught unawares by the revolt, which brings us to two questions. First, why is it that a demand that has been around for years reached flashpoint in less than a fortnight of the Awami League regime formally launching the prosecution of razakars? It is a fact that BDR salaries and service conditions are appalling — average wages are pegged at Taka 5,000 a month; the men are given three months’ free rations (those in the Army get free rations throughout the year); and, there are no promotion prospects as all senior posts are filled by Army officers on deputation. But this has been so for decades. Second, if the mutiny was at all planned, how come the intelligence agencies, especially the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (fashioned after Pakistan’s ISI) failed to warn the Government? It would seem that the conspirators were aiming for something more than better wages and extra free rations; it would also appear that the real conspirators may not be from the BDR.

Here are the reasons why. As part of her programme to cleanse the Government, its agencies and the security forces of BNP partisans and pro-Jamaat elements, Sheikh Hasina sacked the DGFI chief, Maj Gen Golam Mohammed, who is believed to have helped convert his organisation into an extension counter of the ISI at the behest of the Jamaat and whose proximity to Begum Zia was no secret, and replaced him with Maj Gen Mollah Fazle Akbar. This could have unnerved pro-Jamaat elements still embedded in the DGFI and they may have either collaborated with the mutineers or killed crucial information. If true, this suggests that the Jamaat’s infiltration of, and the ISI’s hold over, the DGFI are far deeper and stronger than believed till now.

There’s a second possibility: A faction within the Army, which either owes allegiance to Begum Khaleda Zia or subscribes to Islamism, if not both, conspired with elements in the BDR and the DGFI to plot and execute Wednesday’s mutiny. Perhaps the conspirators had hoped that the killing of Army officers by the BDR mutineers would provoke a backlash by way of the military rising in revolt against the Awami League Government, in a replay of the terrible events of August 15, 1975. The BDR, in any event, is heavily embedded with Islamists who were appointed to the organisation during the five years when the BNP-Jamaat alliance was in power. The Jamaat-e-Islami skilfully exploited the grievances of the BDR men to sell them its ideology of hate, directing their anger and resentment against ‘Hindu India’. It is this which has facilitated the easy cross-border passage of HuJI activists and bombers, cattle-smuggling, trafficking in women and drugs, and illegal migration. The ‘fees’ paid to BDR men compensated their poor wages; if Sheikh Hasina were to insist on putting an end to these crimes, there would be no more money to be made. It is entirely possible that the Jamaat played on this fear of BDR men to push them into rising in revolt.

Linking the various possibilities is the ISI factor: With Dhaka spinning out of Islamabad’s orbit after the return of Sheikh Hasina, and the Bangladeshi Army chief, Gen Moeen U Ahmed, making his dislike for both the BNP and the Jamaat clear (he used the caretaker Government to crack down on sympathisers of both organisations in every arm of the state) while subtly pushing for a pro-India, pro-secular line, it is understandable that Rawalpindi would not take kindly to him. There have been reports of the Pakistani Army/ISI trying to instigate pro-BNP generals in the Bangladeshi Army to plot a coup, but nothing much came of that move with Gen Ahmed moving swiftly against potential plotters and relieving them of their posts. In sheer desperation, the ISI may have used ‘friends’ in the Bangladeshi Army and ‘agents’ in the BDR to organise Wednesday’s mutiny.

After all, if Sheikh Hasina were to succeed in reviving the spirit of 1971, which has caught the popular imagination as never before, and steer her country away from debilitating Islamism, apart from crushing the Jamaat-e-Islami ruthlessly, Pakistan would lose its eastern flank, which it regained by proxy during Begum Khaleda Zia’s rule, once again. That’s not a very happy thought in either Rawalpindi or Islamabad.

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 28 Feb 2009 03:59

Back to 1971 war: Hand of Pak friends seen in mutiny- Carnage planned, millions pumped in: Dhaka

General faces amnesty anger

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 28 Feb 2009 04:04

http://bdfact.blogspot.com/2009/02/bdr- ... ation.html

The Economist is suggesting a section of Bangladesh military may have been involved in BDR mutiny. Here is a missing information that may provide some clue to this conspiracy theory. A majority of the Army officers like RAB, Task Forces, Brigades, Divisional HQs, or Units, who were working in different important areas during CTG period, were all posted to BDR as part of the changes of the Govt. Now that many of them are gone, who benefits from the demise of these 'witnesses'?

http://bdoza.wordpress.com/2009/02/25/b ... rivileged/

The news is emerging that there was an widespread corruption inside the army during the emergency period. Chinese Milk powders (without BSTI quality certification) sold through operation Dal Bhat:
http://horoppa.blogspot.com/2008/09/blog-post_21.html
The Jawans used to term those milk powders as DG Apa’s (his wife?)

In November 2008 Wife of BDR Chief Major General Shakil Ahmed is caught with foreign currencies worth 6 crore Taka at Zia International Airport while leaving the country. Customs officers on duty at the airport doubted that she had been carrying something illegal with her and after checking her luggage they found foreign currencies of value 6 crore Bangladehi Taka. They immediately informed RAB Headquarter about this and RAB officers instructed them not to disclose the news to anybody until further instruction. After hearing the news Army Chief General Moinuddin went there himself and ceased the money and carried both the lady and money with him from the airport.

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/92541

Right after the mutiny by Bangladesh Riffles [BDR] troops, which is partially resolved by now only at its Head Quarters in Dhaka, some vested interest groups are becoming increasingly active in putting bad names on Bangladesh Army by saying, "they are corrupts, violators of rules and abusers of human rights". Such campaign is aimed at stopping the participation of Bangladesh Army in the United Nations Peace Keeping Force. Some so-called intellectuals in Bangladesh are also joining their voice against Army and are trying to give justification to the heinous crime committed by the mutineer BDR troops.

Bangladeshi Economist Anu Muhammad saw the rebellion of BDR soldiers as a "class revolt though the cruelty in it was extreme". "Discrimination was going on in the regimented forces for long and people had accepted it for sometime. But the situation began altering with the changes in society, as the soldiers in the forces were part of the society´s subaltern section," he said.

< snip>

The BDR mutiny was not a mere instant incident. No way! It is very well planned and well organized notoriety, where many kingpins are involved from behind the scene. It was also reported that on the previous night of the mutiny, leaflets were distributed amongst the troops of BDR. They even collected the red and yellow color mask and bandana much ahead of it. So, they were absolutely prepared for the revolt and murder of 146 army officers, in a planned way to create a vacuum right within our armed forces. Moreover, some of the mutineer soldiers were terming the Prime Minister as "Amader Netri" [Our leader]. To a soldier, how the PM turns into a leader? Moreover, most of the mutineer troops were appearing before the mass media without any musk, while they knew, their faces will be seen by the television viewers and others concerned. Were they already sure of any general amnesty, much before any government delegation met them?

And, most interestingly, why the government decided to send Jahangir Kabir Nanak, MP and Mirza Azam, MP to Bangladesh Riffles headquarters as their first representative for negotiations? Why not any senior leader like Tofael Ahmed or Suranjit Sen Gupta. Or senior minister like Motia Chowdhury? Any special reason? Did these two leaders have some contact points already inside BDR?

< snip>

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 28 Feb 2009 04:33

At least 500 trucks ferrying goods to Bangladesh, were stranded at the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal’s Petrapole Friday as exporters feared a loss of Rs.2 billion ($38.83 million) following the mutiny by Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) troopers. “As of now, at least 500 trucks with both perishable and other goods are stuck at the border,” Raja Roy, general secretary, Calcutta Goods Transport Association, told IANS. West Bengal Exporter Coordination Committee secretary Ujjal Saha said: “In north Bengal, there could be a loss of Rs.2 billion. Vegetables and fruits are becoming stale”.

http://www.sindhtoday.net/south-asia/68960.htm

The mutiny by the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) Wednesday is not only a major intelligence failure but its denouement must be closely watched by India as it could impact the internal stability of the country and have implications along the India-Bangladesh border, says a former envoy to Dhaka. The mutiny at the sprawling 200-acre BDR headquarters complex left at least four people dead and scores injured in the heart of Dhaka. ‘How this mutiny pans out could not only have repercussions for internal stability but also how civilian-military relations will be impacted,’ said Veena Sikri, a former high commissioner to Bangladesh.

‘What is equally important is how it will affect patrolling along the 4,000-km long border with India. Will the army replace the BDR? These are questions which must be worrying the security establishment,’ Sikri said. ‘Also interesting is how nobody within the establishment knew of this planned mutiny.’ After several hours of fierce battles with the army, the rebellious BDR troopers agreed to lay down arms following talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

‘I think Sheikh Hasina has handled the situation impressively with a hands-on approach and is willing to listen to their grievances,’ Sikri said. ‘It is a very serious situation and needs to be watched carefully. For India, the uppermost worry will be what next on border patrolling. According to an inter-governmental agreement it was decided that only paramilitaries will man the border,’ she pointed out.

http://blog.taragana.com/n/bdr-mutiny-c ... voy-13460/
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.info/ ... s_id=59962

Mutiny in a disciplined force
Enayet Rasul Bhuiyan

The bestial acts of slaying of their commanding officers by brush firing them to death by BDR men at their Peelkhana headquarters on Wednesday and Thursday, the taking of hostages of the officers' families, reported looting of the residences of the officers, were very shameful and very stunning spectacles perhaps without a parallel in this nation's history.

The killers have been unsurpassed in their brutality. Bodies of the bullet-riddled officers were flushed out through sewer drains or found to be in most uncared and undignified positions. The family members of the deceased has had nothing or very little to eat for nearly 48 hours. Women and tender children and the old of the victim families huddled together in morbid fright before their final rescue. In sum, it was, as if, the end of civilisation or even the veneer of any civilized conduct at BDR headquarters for two consecutive days due to the perpetrators of the ghastly crimes.

A section of the media was noted for interviewing the rebellious BDR men in which the latter poured out their vials of wrath against their authorities : the corruption of their officers, their overworked and underpaid conditions and the officers not giving them a share of the profits from operating the dal-bhat programme. But can such grievances justify the cardinal rules, universally upheld, that members of a disciplined force who are responsible for the safety or security of a state, its members cannot under any circumstances act rebelliously ? They cannot contravene the authority or the orders of their officers and that any breach of the expected behaviour shall invite on the rebel person or persons the punishment of capital sentence given through a trial.

These rules and regulations are writ prominently in the service manuals of such forces round the world. Ours are no exception. Members of these forces are also drilled regularly on these respects. Thus, there can be no legal basis or even moral basis for the abominable and inhuman activities of the BDR men. The men are to be blamed because the picture that has emerged so far shows the preponderance of killings and unlawful acts were committed by them while the officers and their families were on the receiving side.

As for the grievances of BDR jawans, everyone possibly knows that these little educated conscripts from the rural areas, are doted to be their sons-in-laws by eager fathers of brides. This is because of their overnight flourishment. A jawan on being posted in a bordering area, is seen turning his thatched village home into a semi pucca (partly brick-laid) house in a short period of time. Other glitters of well-being are also noted among his family members. Not only his salaries and other official earnings would partly support such a rise in his standard of living, the payoff received from smugglers at the borders also lead to the enrichment. The officers may also share in the bribery on a larger scale. But that does not mean that the men with their official income, plus the payoffs, are too badly off compared to other servicemen of their ranks in other services or organizations.

It would be wrong to try and establish their grievances as being so acute that led to their losing of mental balance and causing the crimes. The reasons have to be traced to their lust for more material benefits and fanning of their sense of discontent by hidden quarters. The tragedies also smack of a huge and unpardonable lapse on the part of the intelligence agencies. How could they be so unaware of the brewing potential troubles when the head of the government visited the spot only a day before? The Prime Minister herself could be affected by the troubles but thanks to Providence for the slight difference in the timing by the rebels.

All of these aspects certainly would deserve a very thorough examination now. The eruption of troubles at BDR headquarters and almost simultaneous outbreak of similar troubles at other regional concentrations of the BDR in other districts, do certainly point to the possibility that it was not so disorganized as the perpetrators would want us to believe. It was very likely a pre-mediated happening and the covering of their faces by the berserk jawans as well as their pretending that they have no coordinated authority to speak for them and they were really loose bands each working on their own, was only a ploy to make out the case of a spontaneous general uprising of the men without leadership and from instant stimuli. This would make the pinpointing of guilt harder and the case for an amnesty better.

But surely none should be hoodwinked by the pretensions. Government on its part will have to do its very best for achieving the state of complete pacification in the days and weeks ahead. But government should also recognize the need for a cut-off point. Government will need to subsequently consider whether the application of general pardon will be maintained all the way or there would be case by case action for utter breach of service rules after the government's grip over the situation becomes stronger. For it must be ensured that such a thing never happens again or is allowed to happen again.

The iron discipline maintained by the members of the security forces of a state are its best credentials that it is functionally viable. If this vital discipline is seen to be fraying or slipping, then that would invite the description of a failed state or failing state on it with the most unwelcome consequences for all forms of its international relations. The BDR mutiny was watched round the world through the auspices of the international media. At one stage, it seemed that not only fighting has started within the BDR but it was coming to an armed showdown between the BDR and the armed forces. Fortunately, things have not gone so far yet. But even a token clash between the two forces, would be enough to pin the description on Bangladesh as an ungovernable state and pave the ground for foreign interventionism on grounds of its inability to maintain law and order or rule itself.

There are umpteenth reasons why after the initial pacification moves, the hardest of probes and the sternest of measures will have to be taken in the broad public view against the killers and looters, for the deterrent value of the same. We cannot allow our social order and harmony to be encouraged towards breakdown by the example of the marauding BDR men. If they are treated at all compassionately after their gruesome murder spree and other acts of barbarism and crimes, then that would likely encourage other so called discontented groups in society to feel emboldened to take up laws with like savagery in their own hands. For instance, if this becomes a trend then garments workers could turn on factory owners in a bloody manner on perceived grounds of their exploitation by the owners. Lower level employees in various offices could similarly start killing their bosses on the basis of suspected corruption of the latter. It could snowball into a bloody social revolution destroying the orderliness and stability of the country. The trend would carry the potential of igniting class warfare in all segments of society with its attendant destructive results. Bangladesh would soon become quite unlivable and the failed state stigma would be easier to pin on it.

Therefore, government must not only look forward to pacification and unlimited compromises to that end. With the immediate pacification stage over, government should embark on a very resolved course of ensuring iron-clad discipline among the security forces imprinting firmly in the minds of all members of such forces that they could expect only the hardest of punishment for their deviant conduct.

It would be also very very important to trace out very accurately who the real architect of these happenings have been behind the wings and subject them to the due processes of the law in a manner they would deserving. Also, government should start implementing a plan at the fastest to relocate both the BDR and the army cantonment at least 50 miles away from Dhaka to prevent sufferings of civilians in any future such situations. Common persons such as the rickshawpuller and the others who died for no fault on their part from BDR firing, should be paid immediate lump sum compensation directly by the government or from the BDR fund. The families of killed army officers should be also aided financially and in other ways.

Kati · Post by **Kati** » 28 Feb 2009 05:02

When your basic salary is only 7000 taka, but you have to buy cooking oil at 100 taka,
daal 90 taka, rice 100 taka, ..etc., then any instigation toward the upper ranks who have pocketted crores of taka meant for cooperative stores (grocery stores) can work magic.
Though Hasina came to power with a massive mandate, has any one wondered the reason
behind it? The total collapse of economy. Few months before the general election, the situation got so bad that special centeres all over the country were opened under BDR/RAB/BDA protection to sell essential commodities. (Go back to several pages, and
I posted this info earlier.) When the corruption breaks a certain threshold, a disciplined
force deosn't remain any more disciplined. Not trying to justify the mutiny, but discipline is also meant for upper ranks too.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 28 Feb 2009 05:16

Mass Grave Found Inside BDF Compound:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/02/27/ ... la-cnd.php

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 28 Feb 2009 06:22

Now that it is clear that this is no accident, it is imperative to understand who could have done this? Further filling of the dots + corrections etc. are welcome...

1) Razakars-ISI-BNP nexus:
A brief introduction to the Razakars: In the past, the BNP as well as the AL have played to the gallery of the Razakars many a time in the name of votebank politics. Nevertheless, the most serious indictment should fall on the shoulders of BNP. Zia-ur-Rehman was the first to go soft on the Razakars and the fundamentalist Islamists and gave them a say in the politics of Bangladesh. It was Zia-ur-Rehman who converted the secular vision of Sh. Mujibur Rehman into an Islamist one. Sh. Mujib himself was no paragon of virtue in these matters. His polity was not only corrupt, but once Bangladesh was formed with Indian help, he started playing to the gallery of OIC.

Vis-a-vis the Razakars, the notable ones include Ghulam Azam (alias Golam Azam) and Salahuddin Kader Chowdhury. Ghulam Azam started his foray into East-Pakistani politics with the language riots of 1952, but with the participation of East-Pakistani Hindus in significant numbers, he firmly turned directions and put all his stones in the Jamaat-E-Islami. During the 1971 war of liberation, his flight was diverted from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia once India declared war, and he was not allowed to re-enter Bangladesh and stripped of Bangladeshi citizenship (once it was formed). With the assasination of Sh. Mujib and arrival of Zia, he was allowed to re-enter Bangladesh as a Pakistani citizen, and allowed to channelize forces for the revival of Jamaat-E-Islami. Even after the expiry of his visa, he managed to stay back in Bangladesh. In 1984, he was granted Bangladeshi citizenship and he has been the spiritual guide behind Jamaat-E-Islami ever since.

Salahuddin Kader Chowdhury (Saka), his father Fazlul Kader Chowdhury (Foka) and his brother Giasuddin Kader Chowdhury led an extensive campaign against the liberation of Bangladesh and offered absolute collaboration to the Pakistan army. The focus of all their activities was their district Chittagong and the minority Hindu population there. Foka was killed during the liberation war by the Mukthi Bahini. The Chowdhury family have been implicated in many cases in the past and due to Foka's good connections with Sh. Mujib and the sympathy over his death, Sh. Mujib let Saka not get punished for his crimes. Slowly, as the Zia-ur-Rehman government and later, Ershad's government came around, Saka managed to extricate himself of his past by deeds of extortion and amassing of wealth. In the aftermath of Ershad during the BNP-AL tussle in the nineties, he managed to switch sides conveniently depending on his needs and presented circumstances, first as a part of the J-E-I. In 2001, Saka quit his allegiances with J-E-I and entered the electoral politics on behalf of BNP. He managed to promote himself as the advisor to Begum Khaleda Zia. However, his moves to become the OIC Sec. Gen. backfired tremendously as he lost to the Turk candidate in 2004. In the 2008 elections, he managed to win both Chittagong I and II constituencies, albeit by a wafer-thin margin.

In the light of all these, the major poll plank of AL during the 2008 elections has been to try the Razakars in a court of law, a task far easily enunciated than actually done. Over the last few days, the statements from Sh. Hasina government have been shriller than ever. The Razakars and their Pakistani sponsors first asked Sh. Hasina government to let the past go and forget the old events. However, the AL government rebuffed such claims. Over their rule, the BNP and J-E-I had not only further Islamized the polity, but also allowed lower level cadre of the army, the notorious RAB as well as the BDR be further Wahabbized. With such covert positions of power, it could have been easy for the Razakars to operationalize their agents to teach the AL a lesson.

2) The Army: While it is hard to believe that the army would have actually let 100+ officers (BD army has around 500 officers) actually die in one fell swoop as a planned conspiracy, it is important to not ignore the fact that BD army has much operational doctrinal similarities with the Pakistani army -- a notorious organization for killing its own officers and cadre to get closer to a major/bigger goal. So what could the bigger goal have been in this case? The BD army ruled the country from 2006-2008 in the form of a caretaker government and amassed significant chunks of money. While the main theme of the caretaker government was to rid Bangladesh of corruption from both BNP and AL, and which it managed to do for a few months following 2006 the take-over, their subsequent stay was notorious for rising cost of essential commodities, massive corruption, revenge acts against BNP as well as AL that bordered on soap operas etc. The rising angst amongst the public of the same-same situation, pressure from the west and the World bank that bankrolled many development schemes in Bangladesh, similar fates for the army-led government in Pakistan, united stand of BNP and AL in taking the BD army head on etc. led the army to accede to a general election. In the elections, AL won a massive landslide that further prevents the army from making any moves that would go against democratic norms like neighbor Burma. In the light of these, it is possible that the army wanted to create a massive sympathy wave on itself as an organization and make a case for the inaction of AL that (possibly) eroded on its operational morale. A culling of its most senior cadre -- possibly many who showed pro-India sentiments -- could have been a good place to start.

3) The AL: While this angle again seems further unlikely, it is important to not ignore this possibility. The AL has just won a massive landslide. It is common wisdom that public approval ratings go down as the reign lasts further. More so in the case of Bangladesh, where all three parties BNP, AL and the army are notorious for corruption. If there is a time for games, this is the right time. It is possible that the AL wanted to manufacture a crisis, which it could then solve amicably and gain further popularity votes from the gullible public. To add credence to such a possibility are initial reports (which now have died down), which claim that some of the rebel cadres mention Sh. Hasina as "Our leader". Further issues are the strong beliefs by the rebels that somehow they would escape -- a possibility that there would have been amnesty from the higher-ups. Sh. Hasina immediately offered a general amnesty to the rebels. It is not clear if this was given to speed up the surrender process or because she thought this would not blow up or because she wrongly miscalculated the seriousness of the damage that the rebels would have caused. Other issues include choices of ministers in her cabinet who negotiated the surrender. Some of them have been known in the past to be organized goons, so why were they chosen for the negotiating team? It is hard to believe that someone in Bangladeshi politics would let himself voluntarily be under the gun when 14 rebels walked over to Sh. Hasina's office (Jamuna) to negotiate without knowing for certain that his life would not be threatened.

4) ULFA, RAW and other bogus leads: It is hard to believe that ULFA, an organization that depends on DGFI and BD army for sustenance would actually have the werewithal to destroy 100+ officers just because it got angry with the deportation of Anup Chetia. Even if so, the anger should have been diverted at Sh. Hasina and not the army. Far-fetched stories like ULFA might have killed 100+ officers to rile up the army and hence force army to take-over in the form of a coup sounds wild, and fails to meet Occam's razor.

The hand of RAW in this episode is a case of Pakistani over-imagination. If the RAW were all that powerful, it possibly would have hit Saka or Ghulam Azam, known India-baiters and not known "friends" of India like Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed Chowdhury. Further thinking along this direction is left to Zaid Hamid.

5) America: Same as above.

RayC · Post by **RayC** » 28 Feb 2009 08:49

Surprising that the India Intelligence was not aware of this plot.

Apparently, it was planned in advance!

Virupaksha · Post by **Virupaksha** » 28 Feb 2009 09:22

The same intelligence agencies didnt know about Kargil too sir, imagine almost a brigade activated and we didnt have a sniff of it in our territory. Our intelligence agencies, not knowing this is not too suprising.

Dilbu · Post by **Dilbu** » 28 Feb 2009 09:35

RayC wrote:Surprising that the India Intelligence was not aware of this plot.

Apparently, it was planned in advance!

I am sure our notional security adviser MKN read about the whole thing from a newspaper just like everyone of us.