Bangladesh News and Discussion

[Raju]

Somehow AL and SH can not be seen above all conspiracy. Who was responsible for hurried transferring of all this 'RAB' to the BDR in last few weeks. That move either didn't sit comfortable with the Islamists in BDR or else they were transferred on purpose knowing in advance that the purge was coming and a lot of these people would have been chasing politicians on both sides AL and BNP with corrupt records. If all these RAB investigators were felled in one go, which means there could even have been tacit 'multi-party consensus' over this kind of thing. Depending on how vigorous the investigations are in the coming days, this will get clearer.

[nsa_tanay]

Taken from TOI epaper

Hasina pacifies army seething for revenge
1000 BDR Men Charged With Murder, Toll Touches 100
TNN & AGENCIES

Kolkata/Dhaka: Faced with an unprecedented crisis, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina rushed to the Dhaka cantonment on Sunday in an attempt to pacify the Bangladesh Army that is seething for revenge.
Army officers repeatedly interrupted her two-hour speech with angry outbursts, but she kept her cool and promised tough action against those involved in the massacre and the agent provocateurs. After Hasina left, the government announced that 1,000 BDR personnel were being tried for the “planned and orchestrated murders”.
But the crisis isn’t over. Anger is mounting in the army as the toll climbed to 100 and reports came in that in some cases, women were tortured before being killed in the BDR headquarters.
Army chief Moeen U Ahmed was reportedly shoved and fell during a heated argument with his officers on Saturday. In the last 24 hours, he has twice offered to resign but was dissuaded by his senior colleagues. There are serious concerns about rifts in the army ranks.
Adding to this is the worry that anti-India elements are gunning for the Hasina government and trying to garner support among the rank and file. Of the 73 slain army officers identified so far (bodies are still being recovered), at least 33 had taken part in anti-Jamiat operations. An anti-India campaign has already started, with pro-Jamiat news channel ‘Diganta’ taking the lead. ( Added: Do any one have access to the print/electronic version of 'Diganta' ? ) Investigation has revealed clearly that a huge quantity of arms and ammunition was smuggled into the BDR headquarters at Pilkhana before the mutiny. Stocktaking after the surrender of mutineers has yielded weapons and ammo in excess of what was officially in the armoury.
Besides, the mutiny leaders seen at gates 1, 2 and 3 — wearing red, green and yellow masks — were not from the BDR headquarters. They were either called in from other sectors for the mutiny or were rank outsiders.
Investigation has also revealed that on February 23 or 24, some outsiders had entered the BDR HQ, apparently for a religious ceremony. No one saw them leave. The BDR HQ in Pilkhana has a capacity of 4,500 but on the day the mutiny broke out, there were over 10,000 personnel from 12 sectors inside.

Bangla PM seeks FBI help
The conspiracy angle in the mutiny was further strengthened on Sunday when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sought help from the FBI to probe the case. She conveyed the need for an FBI probe to US assistant secretary of state (South Asia) Richard Boucher. Sources said Bangladesh has also requested India to ensure that no BDR soldier manages to sneak through the porous international border. With more than 70 of its officers still missing, the army is said to be baying for the mutineers’ blood. The army maintains that those guilty of murder must be hanged. Bangladesh has formed a 10-member committee headed by its home minister to probe the case. P 7

6 BDR officers identified as kingpins
Kolkata/Dhaka: The names of BNP MPs from Chittagong, Salauddin Qader Chowdhury, } DG of Ansar (village defence committee) brigadier-general Amin, and a former DG of BDR, Zafar Alam Chowdhury, have reportedly surfaced prominently in the probe into the Bangladesh Rifles revolt.
Qader is suspected of direct complicity in the mutiny and Amin and Zafar of ‘fomenting trouble’. It may be recalled that Chowdhury’s name figured prominently in the infamous Chittagong arms seizure case in 2004 in which nine truckloads of arms and ammunition of Chinese make were seized.
The Bangladesh police on Sunday identified six persons as the ringleaders of the mutiny that wiped out nearly the entire batch of army officers serving in the paramilitary force. They include six senior BDR officers (deputy assistant directors) — Touhidul Alam, Jalil, Nasiruddin Khan, Mirza Mahbubur Rahman — and jawans Abdur Rahim and Selim. A special tribunal will try the accused border guards.
Some analysts warn that revenge attacks by outraged army officers and their allies could destabilize the country.

[nsa_tanay]

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090302/j ... 612282.jsp

Wary of coup, India moves paras
NISHIT DHOLABHAI

New Delhi, March 1: India has kept its special forces ready to counter possible fallout in case a coup is attempted in Bangladesh, sources told The Telegraph.

The 50 Parachute Independent Brigade, also engaged in the Liberation War of 1971, was two days ago moved from Agra to Kalaikunda in Bengal, government sources said.

The parachute regiment has fought on the eastern and western fronts. It had launched the famous Tangail Airdrop operation on December 11, 1971, to capture the Poongli bridge on the Jamuna that would cut off the 93 Brigade of the Pakistani army.

Other sources said such regiments were expected to be kept ready when neighbourhoods were in turmoil and it should not be construed as “an alarmist posture”.

The threat to the Awami League government became more pronounced after more than 700 armed BDR men escaped yesterday with heavy guns and rocket launchers. Some of them were arrested and interrogation revealed that the Jamaat-e-Islami was courting these rebels.

“They have not joined the Jamaat yet, but if they do, it is a big worry,” a source said.

The source said investigating agencies suspected the hand of Jamaat operative Motiur Rehman Nizami whose objective is to topple the Sheikh Hasina government.

The Jamaat and the Khaleda Zia-led BNP are seen as pro-Pakistan. Saifullah Qadir Chowdhury, a former BNP MP reportedly involved in triggering the mutiny, has active ISI links and is known to be close to Zia’s son Tarique Rahman.

Reports said some outposts in Bangladesh had been re-occupied by BDR troops, suggesting a return to normality could be under way.

[Philip]

The hand of Pak and the ISI is emerging more clearly with each new revelation.It now appears that the entire exercise was a coup against the newly elected Hasina regime and her loyalists in the army.With them gone,the country would once more be in the hands of pro-Paki,anti-Indian elements.The bestail manner in which the massacres of BDR families took place reminds one of the Paki crackdown leading to the '71 war.The GOI should be on max alert to prevent B'Desh from being taken over by the Paki fundoos and their diabloic tribes.So much for Obama giving Pak more money and arms,to destabilise all the nations of the sub-continent!Cross posted from ther TSP thread.

Pakistan in the frame over Bangladesh uprising
The Pakistani intelligence services are suspected of being involved last week's Dhaka massacre of at least 77 Bangladesh Army officers.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... ising.html

[Stan_Savljevic]

http://www.e-bangladesh.org/2009/03/02/ ... #more-1735

We start this post with our sincerest condolences to the friends and families of the fallen. For the record, we are calling this a terrorist act: not a mutiny.

In any war, the first casualty is always the truth, and it is happening in Bangladesh right now. We believe truth and justice are the best ways to show respect to the memories of the dead, so let us go back and try to do that.

We start with a timeline of the incidents. Please note that this is not a blow-by-blow account but the major points. While this timeline can, and is, self-standing, it is also an integral part of our next article, Accountability and Distorted Truths.

Feb 25 09:30 AM - 10:30 AM: (Lt. Col. Syed Kamruzzaman’s interview, partial screen-shot below). Mar. Gen. Shakil Ahmed, DDG Brig. Gen. Bari, Col. Anisuzzaman, Col. Emdad, Col. Zahid, Col. Moshiur, Capt. Mazhar and possibly Capt. Tanvir shot and killed. (10:30 is an assumption. The incidents Col. Kamruzzaman described probably ended before 10:30 AM)

Major Monir describes a slightly different timeline, but that the major points are the same, and the differences are understandable in the fog of war. See that at http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RaDk956KPXY/S ... amokal.jpg

Feb 25 between 9:30 AM - 12:00 noon: Various civilians injured or killed by gunfire or splinters from mortar as far as Dhaka university.

Army units take position near New Market around 11:20 AM, and attempts to enter gate 3, but retreated after stiff resistance and massive fire from BDR

Feb 25 around 2:30 PM: Bodies of Dhaka Sector commander Col. Syed Mujibul Haque and 36 Rifle Battalion commanding officer Lt. Col. Enayet’s dead body was discovered near the Nababganj drainage canals (the drain runs under Pilkhana). One of the dead bodies had a letter from presumably the BDR soldiers that asked that the message be sent to all media that they have been oppressed by army officers, and their backs were against the wall.

Prior to that, BDR issued ultimatums that if the Army came into Pilkhana, there would be massive bloodshed. They also demanded that the Army helicopters be moved away.

Prothom Alo reported that the some of the BDRs were asked about the status of the DG around 2:30 PM, and they reported that he, as well as another 150 officers were under arrest. We now know that to be untrue. See that report at http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RaDk956KPXY/S ... tected.jpg

Feb 25 2:45 PM - 3:30 PM: Jahangir Nanak and Mirza Azam enter pilkhana after some negotiation via mobile phones and through TV channels. MPs Waserat Hossain and Mahbub Ara Guini statys outside the gate. 14 BDR personnel, including Deputy Assistant Director Touhidul Islam, goes to the PM’s residence for a meeting. (this is the same Touhid Lt. Col. Kamruzzaman said saved his life) {Added: And this is the same Touhidul Alam who was charge-sheeted as one of the six responsible for this incident}

LGED State Minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak offering negotiation options to the BDR rebels.

Feb 25 approx 4:00 PM: A BDR solider announced on a loudspeaker that they will give their life but will not compromise on their demands. This was on Moneshwar Road, about 200 yards from the Darbar hall, where the killings started. Civilians present there clapped and cheered at that statement.

Prothom Alo reported that while all other gates were covered by the Army, this gate had no Army presence.

Feb 25 approx 6:00 PM: Prime minister Sheikh Hasina announces general amnesty. Before this, she met with the 14-member BDR team from 3:45 - 5:45 PM.

Feb 25 7:30 PM: As a result of the amnesty announcement, firing stops briefly. Many injured, including women and children come out of the BDR headquarters.

Feb 25 9:00 -11:00 PM: 12 BDR members in meeting with negotiators at Ambala Inn in Dhanmondi. They demand that army personnel be withdrawn from Pilkhana as precondition for laying down arms. Army units start moving back by 10:40 PM.

Feb 26 12:10 AM - 6:00 AM: Negotiation meeting ends at 12:10 AM. Sahara Khatun enters Pilkhana at 12:15 AM

Feb 26 2:30 AM: Sahara Khatun exits Pilkhana with at least one injured officer, and about 40 other family members.

After that, we accelerate our narrative:

Feb 26, 9:45 AM: Agriculture miniter Motia Chowdhury and State minister for Law Qumrul Islam meets with 10 rebels again at Ambala Inn.

Feb 26, 11:45 AM: PM meets with the three service chiefs

Feb 26, 1:45 PM: Another team lead by Abdul Jalil meets with the rebels. Rashed Khan Menon asks the rebels to let the family members go, and if necessary keep the politicians as hostage Between 50-60 family members were released after that.

Feb 26, 3:20 PM: Afran, daughter of a Major Zia, was released.

Feb 26, 4:20 PM: BTV camera men invited inside to witness and record the surrender of arms. 200 hostages released

Feb 26, 4:30 PM: White flag is raised. 18 injured Army officers were released.

Feb 26, 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM: Final stages. Hasina in meeting with the 3 service chiefs. Surrender and end of mutiny announced at 6 PM

http://www.e-bangladesh.org/2009/03/02/ ... ed-truths/

Accountability and Distorted Truths

There are four major charges being leveled against the government’s handling of the BDR massacre.

1. The first one is general: The government held back the Army, who otherwise could have prevented or minimized the murders
2. The second one is much more specific. This accuses that after the amnesty was announced, and while Nanak and Sahara Khatun were inside Pilkhana, the majority of the murders happened. From an email allegedly from an Army officer that is being widely circulated:
• RAB arrives at Pilkhana gate at about 10am and ready to move in. Home Ministry said a stubborn “No”.
• Troops of Mirpur Cantt and Dhaka Cantt arrives at Pilkhana by 11:30am. they seek permission to go in. Again a big “No”
• Innocent Media people, bluffed by the BDR jawans, focus to the nation the good side or the “right cause” of rebellion BDR. they ask for BCS officers….!!!
• Govt sends nanok and others and they enter courageously into BDR Pilkhana and safely come back and they are not held hostage.
• At 4:30pm, army tanks are ready to go in, briefing done, again a big “No”. The army is told to go 3 km away from Pilkhana.
• Night comes. sahara and nanok enter BDR and all lights are off. sahara visits families of army officers without nanok as seen on TV channels through BTV footage. She does not; we repeat DOES NOT meet any army officer of BDR.
• Media people telecast live sound of firing from inside Pilkhana when sahara is inside.
• Sahara comes out and faces the media. some channel representative asks her “Apni jokhon vitorey chilen, amra goolir shobdo shunlam, apni shunen ni?” she say “No. I did not hear any firing”. sahara did not mention anything about the 168 officers inside, nor the media asked her where were the officers.
• THIS WAS BECAUSE AT THAT TIME BDR WAS COMPLETING THE TOTAL KILLING OF ALIVE OFFICERS AND THIER FAMILIES UNDER THE EYES OF NANOK AND MASS GRAVES WERE BEING PREPARED. Please refer to the Ntv exclusive with major Mokarram on 28th evening. He said that he heard the voice of home minister entering into the kote when BDR gunmen surrounded him.
• IG police freely moved in because his daughter and son in law capt haider was inside. He ensured the rescue of his daughter, married 82 days earlier.
• only police is allowed to enter pilkhana and throughout the night they find only 7 dead bodies and suggest that search could not be done due to darkness.

3. The third charge is grave. The same email states that ambulances entered Pilkhaka and took away some killers under the guise of removing the injured. From the same email:
• NON-MILITARY AMBULANCES ENTER AND LEAVE PILKHANA A NUMBER OF TIMES AND TAKES AWAY SO MANY DEAD BODIES…BUT THE TOTAL STILL REMAINS 7. Only 5-7 other bodies appear from canal behind BDR naturally floating. IT WAS BECAUSE THOSE AMBULANCES TOOK ABOUT 32 KILLERS AWAY.

4. The fourth accusation is absolutely incendiary. It charges that Sahara Khatun let the murderers go, and that under the direction of the Home Ministry, the power was cut off in the area during the night of Feb 26 so the BDRs could escape. From someone whose father is a senior retired army officer, and who has may family members in the armed services: Majority of them knew this was going to happen but Home Ministry allowed them to shut the light in BDR and allowed them to escape

All of these accusations were expressed in various forms when Sheikh Hasina met with Army officers on March 1. One survivor from the massacre specifically mentioned that if Sahara Khatun went to the Quarter Guard and asked about the women, then they would not have faced any abuse. In a chaotic scene, the officers accused that the killers were allowed to escape in the name of negotiations, and demanded the resignation of Mirza Azam, Nanak and Sahara Khatun

Let’s examine these charges.
1. To start with, the outcome of an Army-BDR firefight is known–the Army would have won in the long run. But at what cost? If the author of this email, and others bemoaning this fact truly believe the BDR would have fled in the face of an assault, perhaps they have forgotten that BDR is the most battle-hardened force in Bangladesh that faces regular live fire from BSF, while for most army soldiers the only gunfire they see come during exercises.

Yes, the Army has superior heavy weapons, including tanks and helicopter gunships. But lets not forget the civilians, family members and officers still alive who were inside Pilkhana, who would have been used as human shielf. Even the author of the email is claiming most of the officers were still alive. What would have happened to them in the cross-fire if the Army attacked? What of the Army soldiers taking part in the attack?

What about the civilians outside Pilkhana? What about the BDR forces in other districts and the border, where the tensions were rising and reports of rebellion was rising? In the event of an assault, who would have prevented bloodbaths in those locations? We submit that however painful the death of the officers in Dhaka, an armed assult on Pilkhana would have been many times worse and caused a country-wide firefight.

A retired Brig gen and a former DDG of the BDR agrees. Note that this person is intimately familiar with the capability and mentality of the BDR.

Sheikh Hasina essentially reiterated the same points, and for the first time she mentioned that she had asked the Army chief how long it will take to launch an air or ground assult. By the time they had learned that the officers were dead, and decided to take the route of negotiations in order to protect the families.

2. If that is so, then why are there any officers alive at all? We are not talking about the officers who were hiding; we are talking about the officers who were confined by armed BDR personnel at quarter-guard or other locations, at least 18 of whom were released on Day 2 (see our timeline, Feb 26, 4:30 PM). The only explanation that makes sense is that most of the murders had happened in an initial burst in the beginning. Lt Col. Shams, who escaped out of the Darbar hall and was hidden by some BDR soldiers, tells us:
“It was between 10:30 am to 11:00 am and I assume most of the officers were killed during that time,” he said in the interview.

He is also the officer who described the mysterious grey pick-up entering through gate 5, bearing arms and ammunication

3. We know Red-Cross/Red-Crescent ambulances evacuated some of the injured, and those ambulences went to CMH with the injured and the dead. If the author of this email is claiming that the killers went to CMH and escaped, he has access to information that we don’t.

4. We now know this: the main lights in the Pilkhana are not on a timer; they have to be turned on manually via various main switches by an electrician. Because of the firefight, there was no electrician in Pilkhana, hence there were no lights on the streets and perimeter.

We agree that it was short-sighted of the home ministry to not arrange for flood lights. At the very least, just turning on the headlights of all the army and police vehicles would have provided some light. But to accuse a person who risked her own life to go in and bring out families of the army officers of aiding and abetting criminals is reprehensible. Perhaps before leveling such charges, they should talk to Lt. Col. Kamruzzaman, who acknowledged that his wife and children were extracted by Sahara Khatun

For the investigation committee:

Now, emotions are raging inside the serving and retired officers of the Armed forces, and Bangladesh once again stands on the brink of a precipice. So allow us to ask some of our own questions, and point out some other facts that we hope the investigatin committee will examine.

1. What were the various intelligence agencies doing? Lt. Col. Kamruzzaman is on record that the field agents of the intelligence agencies were involved in this. Even if this is not true, this indicates a massive intelligence failure, and we need to see some accountability from the people who head up these agencies.

2. What happens to the corruption allegations? We hope that those will not be buried along with the dead bodies. If there is a systematic corruption, let us uproot at as well. And if there was no corrpution, then let the investigations clear the names of the deceased.

3. On March 1, 2009, the police forces of Bangladesh suddenly started receiving 100% ration, which was one of the 22 demands of the BDR. Was there any credible intelligence regarding a similar threat at the Police force? If so, from whom?

Lastly, we end this post with a call for patience from all quarters. The sad truth is, Bangladesh has lost some brave men. But this is not the first time this has happened, and every time the killers walked away free.

The Army is bringing great pressure on the prime minister. We understand their anger and outrage. But asking for resignations from MPs and ministers, people who risked their lives to save Army officers and their families serves what purpose? Who gains by removing the people without whose involvement the death-toll would have been higher? (We hope we have already laid to rest the wisdom of an attack on Pilkhana). Instead, the Army should focus its energy on investigating and capturing the masterminds of this murder.

If this results in an Armed uprising and overthrow of the government, then the people who planned this massacre wins. But we believe the worst of the crisis is over. Gen. Moeen U. Ahmed stated categorically that the Army is under the authority of the elected government, and the PM has faced off 300+ angry, emotional officers for three hours. If this democratically elected government can withstand the pressure to act hastily, we believe the truth will shine through. And onlt then the death of the officers will not be in vain.

[Stan_Savljevic]

Ershad is no saint having ruled like Suharto with an iron-clad fist before people's impatience brought his army rule down, but is there anything more to this statement:

Jatiya Party chairman H M Ershad suggests the border force BDR be disbanded "if you call it a mutiny". "According to law, this organisation should be disbanded if you call it a mutiny," the former president said, speaking in parliament Sunday. Recalling one incident, the former army chief said there was mutiny in one of the units of the armed forces and that unit was disbanded.

Khaleda's statement is routine oppn verbiage but for this interesting line:

BNP president Begum Khaleda Zia also criticised the government for what she said was naming 'rebel' deputy assistant director Touhidul Alam as BDR's director general, a charge the prime minister rejected outright, saying the government appointed a brigadier general to the post.

I am confused with this, Touhidul Alam was charge-sheeted as responsible. He was one of the 14 BDR cadre that went to Sh. Hasina and bargained in the middle. So was there a plan by Sh. Hasina to have him be the temporary DG of BDR when they realized that Maj Gen Shakil was dead? If so, was it a bargain chip or was it a naive mistake? Did Sh. Hasina correct course on realizing that they had more than what they could chew on their hands? Man, its like a Sherlock Holmes mystery with oiseaules who could be the real culprits all over the place.

In the meanwhile,

The India border guards yesterday resumed erecting barbed wire fencing along their side opposite the Monipur camp in Dinajpur and BDR personnel resisted the efforts. Sources said the BDR jawans are performing their duties without high officials. Tension is mounting between Indian Border Security Force (BSF) and BDR men as India wants to exploit the worse crisis passing Bangladesh.

Local people said 69 BSF Battalion of Amulia camp resumed constructing a ring road to erect barbed wire fence 150 metre inside no-man's-land at Kamdevpur village under the camp on Saturday. But in the face of strong opposition by 40 BDR Battalion, the Indian border force stopped the work. But BSF men again started their activity with heavy machinery, including shovels and tractors, to develop the groundwork.

The BDR jawans again protested the BSF attempt and called for a flag meeting, but BSF did not respond to the meeting. Despite repeated request, BSF men continued their work violating the international border rules. Sources said at least 12 BDR men are performing their duties at the Monipur camp without any BDR high-ups. BSF men are exploiting the recent mutiny by BDR jawans that claimed at least 63 lives of army officers.

The chances are bright that the BDR would indulge in some posturing like happened in Pyrdiwah 2001, Roumari 2004, Boraibari 2004 etc to shore up their name in the country. The external enemy is the unifier for all these oiseaules.

Beware paki fora are floating with why RAW (who else? ) is behind this as revenge for Pyrdiwah 2001? We will see more such BS coming from BD newspapers very soon.

And btw, only 74 officers bodies have been recovered by latest accounts. Where are the ~84 other bodies? Its hard to imagine that those many bodies can be disposed off without a trace unless they threw the bodies to crocs, sad as it is to even think about. But Buriganga is infested with crocs, so one never knows.

[AdityaM]

http://bangladesh-web.com/index.php
More time & space seems to be devoted to BSF rather than the going on in their own country:

Tension mounts as Indian BSF resumes fencing
Indian BSF kidnaps Bangladesh Armed Police Battalion (APB) man
Bangladeshi killed in BSF firing
Indian Border Security Forces (BSF) Friday halted the supply of coal to Bangladesh from India

i hope this will not reduce into a Anti india farce which will cause india to devote energies to the eastern borders, reducing the pressure off western border with Pak

[Stan_Savljevic]

BRaman uvacha: In contrast to other reports that a coup is now off, BRaman warns that is more likely now than before.
http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cpap ... r3076.html

Reliable details of the two-day (February 25 and 26, 2009) mutiny of some junior ranks of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) against Army officers are still scanty. However, even the limited details available so far indicate that the situation was and continues to be much more serious than was originally thought. It could flare up again if not handled with care by the Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, the Army Chief , General Moeen U Ahmed, and the new Director-General of the BDR, Brig Gen Moinul Hossain.

Sheikh Hasina and the Army chief are till now acting in tandem in dealing with the sequel to the mutiny, but the critics of Sheikh Hasina are already turning their guns on her as the holder of the defence portfolio for not reacting promptly to the mutiny in order to put it down and prevent the massacre of a large number of senior officers of the Army by the jawans (soldiers) and other junior ranks of the BDR. While the Army chief himself has reiterated his faith in the civilian leadership, individual senior officers have been critical of Sheikh Hasina for allegedly not allowing the Army to intervene on February 25 itself after the mutiny broke out and for trying to deal with the situation through her Home Minister, Sahara Khatun, under whom the BDR comes.

The constitution of two parallel probe committees -- one by the Home Minister and the other by the Army -- speaks of the lack of confidence of the army in the thoroughness of any probe by the committee set up by the Home Minister. Reports indicate that only those, who did not participate in the mutiny, have so far surrendered to the Army or the police and that many---if not most---of those who participated in the mutiny have managed to go underground. The Army is focussing its enquiries on those , who held the peace talks with the Home Minister in a local restaurant in response to his appeal before the talks broke down. The suspected ring leaders are four Deputy Assistant Directors (DAD) of the BDR-----Touhidul Alam, Nasiruddin Khan, Mirza Habibur Rahman and Abdul Jalil, --- sepoy Md Selim and Abdur Rahim, whose rank in the BDR is not known.

The National Standing Committee of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of Begum Khalida Zia, in a statement on February 28, 2009, alleged that the 'action and reaction' in the wake of the killings in the mutiny proved the Government's total failure to resolve the crisis. “Narrow mentality and controversial steps and statements of the Government made the situation more complex,” it said and added: "The Government could not take timely steps to prevent the killing of army officers and their family members, and torture on women and children.The Prime Minister, who is also the Defence Minister, cannot avoid responsibility for the failure to take effective measures to protect arms and ammunition, and prevent escape of criminals.”

From the details available so far, the following reconstruction is possible: Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed, who was the Director-General of the BDR, and his wife were extremely unpopular with the jawans of the BDR, who used to accuse them of being corrupt and of misusing or misappropriating funds meant for providing relief to the families of poor jawans. The BDR was observing the BDR Week from February 24, 2009, to mark its raising day. About 6300 personnel of the BDR were to participate in the various functions organised in this connection. About 3300 of them belonged to BDR battalions stationed in Dhaka. The remaining came from the various field units. Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Week at a function in the Darbar (conference) hall of the BDR headquarters in their campus at Pilkana on February 24. Some directly-recruited junior officers and other ranks of the BDR had requested Maj. Gen. Shakil Ahmed to allow them to meet her separately after the inaugural function to express their grievances to her. He turned down their request. On coming to know of this, she wanted to meet them. He advised her not to do so on the ground that it might weaken the discipline. She did not insist on meeting them.

That night, pamphlets criticising Shakil Ahmed, his wife and other army officers circulated in the campus. Either the army officers and military and civilian intelligence agencies were not aware of it or they ignored it under the impression that this was one of those things which keep happening in the BDR. On February 25, a conference was held in the Darbar Hall, which was addressed by Shakil Ahmed. As he was interacting with the staff, some persons wearing red head bands and wielding machine guns forced their way into the hall and started shouting slogans against him and opened fire indiscriminately.

There are two versions as to what happened to him. According to one version, he was shot dead inside the darbar hall itself. According to the other version, he and other Army officers ran out of the hall in panic and fled to their residences or offices located inside the campus. Shakil Ahmed himself ran to his house. Some of the mutineers chased him there and killed him and his wife, Some other mutineers chased the other officers to their offices or residences and killed them. {His wife was killed in their house and was taken away to the pit in a curtain from their house}

A number of other jawans and junior officers of the BDR, who initially did not participate in the mutiny, took guns from the BDR armoury and joined the mutineers in their killing spree. Thousands of bullets were fired indiscriminately all over the campus by rampaging personnel of the BDR. When Sheikh Hasina heard of the mutiny and the firing, she thought that the mutineers had taken some Army officers hostage. She, therefore, asked her Home Minister to establish contact with the mutineers and persuade them to release the hostages. She was reportedly not aware that the mutineers had started massacring the officers the moment the mutiny started. It is understood that even the Army chief was not aware of this.

The moment the mutiny broke out, there was an almost total black-out of communications between the Army officers caught inside the BDR headquarters and their superiors in the Army headquarters. Before the mutiny, the mutineers had disrupted all land line telephones. All the army officers caught inside had mobile telephones. Only one of them managed to send out a distress message. Others could not communicate. It is not known why this was so. {In addition, the BD government had blacked out all cellphones taking the Mumbai massacre as a lesson} Some reports suggest that the mutineers had seized all mobile telephones from the officers inside. Thus, while the mutineers were able to remain in touch with their colleagues all over Bangladesh, the Army officers caught inside were unable to communicate with anybody. The Army sent an armed group to the BDR campus to find out what was happening. It also sent two helicopters to fly over the campus. They all withdrew when the mutineers opened fire on them.

Only by the morning of February 26, 2009, did the extent of the savagery become evident to Sheikh Hasina and the Army. She authorised the Army to intervene and broadcast a warning message to the mutineers. The sight of the deployment of Army tanks and heavy artillery around the campus unnerved the mutineers and they called off the mutiny. It is not yet known how many of them managed to escape from Dhaka and how many surrendered.

When the Army entered the campus and started looking for the Army officers caught inside, it realised with shock the extent of the savagery perpetrated by the BDR mutineers. So far, the Army has recovered the badly mutilated bodies of 73 {74 now} army officers and some civilians including wives and other family members of the killed officers. It is reported that there were 137 Army officers of various ranks inside the BDR campus when the mutiny broke out. The remaining are missing and feared killed. Their bodies have not yet been recovered. Many of the recovered bodies carried bullet as well as bayonet injuries. The bodies of the wives of some of the killed officers had been disfigured. Neither Pakistan nor Bangladesh, where military revolts and rule are common, had seen a savagery of this kind since the British left the sub-continent in 1947.

Brigadier General Mahmud Hossain, Director of Military Intelligence, told a press conference in Dhaka on the night of February 28,2009, that the army was ready to storm the headquarters of the BDR soon after the mutiny erupted, but heeded Sheikh Hasina's advice at the last minute to resolve the issue politically. "The Prime Minister directed that the crisis should be solved politically and it has been resolved in that manner." He described the incidents as "possibly the worst massacre of army officers in Bangladesh's history", and added that the anger among the armed forces was "very natural". He said the army has begun its own probe into the killings of its officers during the mutiny even as the investigation ordered by a government-constituted committee continues.

One of those missing is Colonel Gulzar Uddin Ahmed, of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), who had played an active role in the drive against the jihadi organisations such as the Jamia'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Before being promoted as Additional DG of the RAB, he was in its intelligence wing and had commanded the operation that had led to the capture and execution of JMB operations commander Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai.

The belief in Bangladesh official circles is that the BDR mutiny was triggered off partly by the unaddressed grievances over the living and service conditions and partly by anger over the action of the Army chief in carrying out the death sentences awarded to Bangla Bhai and other jihadi leaders in 2007. There has reportedly been a penetration of the BDR by the Hizbut Tehrir which was very critical of the executions which were projected by it as carried out under US pressure.

Nothing deep, but diplomatic speech, as expected from a former diplomat.
http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cpap ... r3077.html

WINTER IN SPRING- Reflections on the recent BDR Massacre
Guest column by Kazi Anwarul Masud

Two things have been found wanting-command failure and intelligence failure. It is not readily understood how the commanders and the intelligence personnel failed to realize the gravity of the conspiracy that by the most recent account claimed more than 60 lives. Bangladesh, however, from the days of the assassination of the Father of the Nation in 1975, assassinations of the four national leaders and of President Ziaur Rahman, Bangladesh is no stranger to bloody upheavals.

One wonders if the BDR revolt could have been generated from the perceived isolation of soldiers from the officers corps. Former army officers hotly contest this thesis because they say the way BDR is structured it is not possible for a significant portion of the forces to remain discontent without getting redress. In that case the possibility of a conspiracy to decimate a large portion of the officers corps remains. Only time and enquiry into the massacre can answer these questions. The allegation leveled against some army officers of subaltern behavior vis- is the common soldiers in a binary relationship of inferior and superior groups has been contemptuously dismissed.

[Lalmohan]

what are the facts?

1. an organised group mutinied, and did so more brutally than can be expected from a pay/perks dispute
2. timing was chosen to coincide with a gathering of the leadership cadre in one place
3. officers of BDR were executed/eliminated/liquidated (decapitation strike)
4. the 'negotiators' appear to be the ring leaders
5. an islamist party came out in support of the rebels

what is the conjecture?

1. the mutiny was well funded and facilitated by xxx?
2. what was meant to be the army's reaction? there could be only one response if their own were being brutally murdered
3. de-stabilise the new government, provoke a military coup... remove 'secular leaders' from the BDR? Why army officers in BDR only? Was it easier to infiltrate the BDR than the army?
4. create a chaotic situation where the army has to take over and rely on the islamists for support?
5. end democratic rule in BD for good?
6. re-open lucrative illegal trade (a byproduct surely?)

who gains?

1. Unkil - no, another mess that doesn't help right now
2. Dragon... been thinking hard about this, but I can't see an angle
3. Saudi... not really, they'd be happy with an elected government that had more islam
4. TSP... sure, for the usual reasons
5. global islamist movement/khilafat... for sure, BD becomes the first state to be co-opted into the movement; pakistan to follow as soon as unkil can be gotten rid off
6. is it another case of giving the 'foot soldiers' too much room and they've got carried away?

either way, it would seem that the grand plan has failed. The counter strike must come now... before they regroup

[Raju]

Does this mutiny prepare the ground for another army general to overthrow both PM Hasina and Army Chief Moin ?

this can be a strong possibility after a few weeks/months have passed.

[Stan_Savljevic]

Jamaat on the offensive:

BNP leader SQ Chowdhury MP has lodged a Tk 700 crore defamatory case against private Indian TV channel CNN-IBN. "I have lodged the case at a court in the USA and have instructed my legal attorney Martin Brother to take necessary steps in this regard," the opposition MP told reporters.

"The private Indian TV channel, quoting 'Indian intelligence sources', published false and fabricated news alleging that the BDR revolt was organised and financed by Jamaat-e-Islami and myself," said Chowdhury. "This has tarnished my image and that of Bangladesh to the world," he added. The MP also accused the TV channel of defiling the reputation of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami today (Monday) demanded formation of a probe committee with representatives from the judiciary, defense, law enforcement agencies and all parties in parliament to unveil the mystery behind the BDR mutiny. Jamaat chief Matiur Rahman Nizami came up with the demand at a press conference at its central office in the capital.

He also demanded trial and punishment of the killers at the quickest possible time through a fair investigation into the incidents that took place at Pilkhana on February 25-26.

http://publication.samachar.com/pub_art ... extIndex=0
IAF on stand-by, ready to help Bangladesh

With Bangladesh caught in a bloody turmoil after the two-day mutiny by a disgruntled border security force last week, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has been put on standby to render assistance to the neighbouring country, if required. The IAF’s transport bases, equipped with IL-76 heavy-lift and AN-32 medium-lift aircraft, have been asked to stay prepared for any commitment to Bangladesh whose fragile civilian government is coming to terms with the rebellion by the paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles (BDR).

A senior IAF official, who refused to be identified, told HT on Sunday the force was ready to provide logistics as well as humanitarian help. “We follow some drills whenever there is any instability or calamity in neighbourhood. Bangladesh returned to democratic rule barely two months ago,” a source in the air headquarters said. The IAF had flown relief supplies to Bangladesh in November 2007, under Operation Sahayta, after a devastating cyclone tore through the country’s western coast leaving thousands dead and millions homeless.

In a stand-by scenario, the air force prioritises its commitments to make sure that assets are available at any given time for speedy deployment. The focus was on conserving assets to deal with any eventuality, said another official. It could also entail curbing leave temporarily to ensure availability of air crews. The IAF’s transport base at Jorhat in Assam is the closest to Bangladesh. It is also one of the biggest transport bases of the force.

The mutinous guards went on a shooting spree at BDR’s officer corps at an annual meeting where troops were supposed to discuss grievances with the seniors. The rebels wanted among other things better pay, change in the command and control structure and permission to be part of lucrative UN peacekeeping missions.

[Chandragupta]

It's only a matter of time before the BD media & public opinion goes anti-India & starts blaming India & RAW for the massacre. Completely ungrateful people, these Bangladeshis. Proves that no matter how you treat them, no matter where they are, Muslims will always stick with their own kin, in this case, the Pigs from Piggistan.

[Raju]

It's only a matter of time before the BD media & public opinion goes anti-India & starts blaming India & RAW for the massacre. Completely ungrateful people, these Bengalis. Proves that no matter how you treat them, no matter where they are, Muslims will always stick with their own kin, in this case, the Pigs from Piggistan.

Yes they well might, but it will also expose the scale of the operation.

the masterminds can not remain hidden for long without compromising themselves. They will come out to collect the pickings. We just need to quietly watch the proceedings without revealing any emotion on our part.

[nsa_tanay]

MR was deeply involved in ML politics. His relations with Suhrawardy needs to be carefully explored as Suhrawardy was instrumental in the Calcutta rioting. MR continued his adulation of Suhrawardy after the Partition and after the formation of BD. India used MR, and MR used India. However, old "Calcuttans" might recall certain stories about the murder of a certain artiste on the eve of the riots and the Partition, who apparently squealed to the IB about ML plans to create carnage - ML and MR as part of ML were very keen to have Calcutta and Surma Valley included in Pakistan. Their calculation was basically that they would dominate Pakistan once it formed. The language issue was more a leftist and independent inspired spontaneous popular movement (dominated by the remnant communists who organized it from behind to a certain extent) whose potential was realized by the astute MR as a mobilizing force.

But his inherited basic mistrust of the "Hindu India" made him amenable to influences by the Islamic component of the AL offshoot of ML and folowers of M.Vasani. His vacillation and leaning on the shoulders of UK, was a sign of his urge to balance India and his original realization of the basic contradiction of purpose between India and Pakistan or any parts thereof.

The leftist had been backing the Awami League since the beginning. They have nothing to do with 'Mujib', 'Hasina' or 'Awami League' in person, its because of their moderate ideology, and relative distance from the rightist (islamists fundamentalists) that the Bangladeshi left have traditionally backed them.


FYI. Behind Hasin's sweeping victory in 2008 too, the Bangladeshi left, played a very crucial and important role. People have started to understand the real nature of those right-fundamentalist forces. And have realized that those evil forces will push the country only towards a retrograding direction.

Those rightist- fundamentalists are not going to come back to power in near or far future. Its this realization only, that in a desperate attempt to topple or weaken the Hasina government, they may have orchestrated the BDR mutiny , in consultation with their Pakistani friends. But the 'Awami League' govt will not only emerge stronger out of this crisis, the right-fundamentalist forces will pay a heavy political price too.

[Rahul M]

It's only a matter of time before the BD media & public opinion goes anti-India & starts blaming India & RAW for the massacre. Completely ungrateful people, these Bengalis. Proves that no matter how you treat them, no matter where they are, Muslims will always stick with their own kin, in this case, the Pigs from Piggistan.

mind what you say !

the category you used is also identified with a number of BRFites here.

Learn to use the correct term, bangladeshi.

[Lalmohan]

Completely ungrateful people, these Bengalis.

Bangladeshis, not Bengalis - otherwise you are insulting many Indians on this forum.

[Chandragupta]

I think it's pretty clear that I was referring to Bangladeshis, but anyways, it has been edited.

[nsa_tanay]

It's only a matter of time before the BD media & public opinion goes anti-India & starts blaming India & RAW for the massacre. Completely ungrateful people, these Bengalis. Proves that no matter how you treat them, no matter where they are, Muslims will always stick with their own kin, in this case, the Pigs from Piggistan.

mind what you say !

the category you used is also identified with a number of BRFites here.

Learn to use the correct term, bangladeshi.

good catch Rahul. I have, in many previous occasions , observed, that your acts as a moderator is not only mature but Praise worthy.

But this error seems a hurried ignorant typo that is unknowingly unintentional.
We can ignore it.

[Stan_Savljevic]

People have started to understand the real nature of those right-fundamentalist forces. And have realized that those evil forces will push the country only towards a retrograding direction. Those rightist- fundamentalists are not going to come back to power in near or far future.

Boss, are you kidding me with this statement? I hate to compare what happens in BD with internal Indian politics. But I will do just that at the peril of sounding like a cheap-skate.

BD politics is very similar to TN politics. The parallels are eerie: 1) There is a fondness and pride for language bordering on massive cult-like devotion (even kaffir Tagore is held fondly cos of his impeccable language credentials, Tagore and Nazrul rule BD; in TN, even microscopic minority Tam vidwans of yesteryears get respect from the "Dravidian" movement), 2) Resulting in separatist tendencies pre-1947 fueled by the British. In TN, it was fueled by an artificial AIT logic whereas in BD it was fueled by fundoo Islamist logic. TN subsided following the 1962 China war + the 10 yr period on the 8th schedule issue expired. BD has nt subsided in anti-Indian rhetoric even now cos thats the power of fundoo Islam.

3) Massive corruption with either of the major party -- ADMK and DMK in TN vs BNP and AL in BD -- so that one choice is not better over the other for the hoi polloi in terms of governance, 4) The left (communists) that bed either party with ease depending on the circumstances - the left is in alliance with ADMK now whereas in the previous government it bedded with DMK. In case of BD, its so funny that one cant stop rotfling:

After the independence of Bangladesh, the CPB under Moni Singh made a deviation to the right. The party became apologists for the Awami League's policies and actions, including the killing and imprisonment of thousands of left-wing activists. In 1975 the CPB dissolved itself to become part of BAKSAL and then worked in parallel with Ziaur Rahman. In the 1980s a new CPB leadership produced a thesis to justify the party's participation in elections under martial law. The CPB abandoned its traditional hammer symbol and instead used the AL's symbol on campaign posters and ballot papers. In a graphic example of the Marxist teaching that communists who deny their identity lose their place in the class struggle, all successful CPB candidates promptly defected to the bourgeois camp.

http://www.marxist.com/Asia/bangladesh_ ... my102.html

5) A vicious hatred campaign to reap the benefits of real estate and resources -- reservation in TN and land ownership in BD, 6) A group that is selectively targeted with real or imaginary fears bordering on illusion -- pre-60s violence in TN vs violence against Hindoos in BD continuing to this day, 7) Marked by a continuous slide in the number of those people in their respective states.

The differences between BD and TN: BD has an army of its own, TN does nt, God forbid. But then there is LTTE just next door. Pakisatan used BD real estate and resources pre-1971 for its selfish end, TN did nt have such options as TN was not rich in land resources, so it could nt blame "India" for exploiting it like Assam keeps yakking about.

The net consequences: Oscillatory politics characterized by massive swings. Stop kidding about how the BD folks are so sick and tired of BNP or the Islamists. The BD folks are far more Islamist than one gives them credit for. In every indicator of religiosity of the population, BD comes out on top beating even the natural ummah-ite pakisatan.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/114211/Alaba ... ommon.aspx
What else but religion can explain a population that is living in a country that is massively corrupt, massively bankrupt, and eternally looking at the precipice of a cliff? Have you heard of Biswa Ijtema -- google and see what that is. So yes, BNP has a saying in BD because the population is not averse to BNP and its Islamist credentials. They are looking forward to AL because AL is also Islamist in some soft form + provides them a change from BNP when they need one.

Lesson: If you know what a Jacobson radical means in terms of algebraic notions, the following "theorem" will make sense to you: A radical on the left is the same as that on the right.

[Lalmohan]

I think it's pretty clear that I was referring to Bangladeshis, but anyways, it has been edited.

Indian Bengalis are very touchy about this topic - please show some consideration and respect

[Chandragupta]

I think it's pretty clear that I was referring to Bangladeshis, but anyways, it has been edited.

Indian Bengalis are very touchy about this topic - please show some consideration and respect

Where did I show disrespect to any Indian? Please do not blow things out of proportion, it was absolutely clear that I was referring to Bangladeshis & not anyone else.

[RayC]

It's only a matter of time before the BD media & public opinion goes anti-India & starts blaming India & RAW for the massacre. Completely ungrateful people, these Bengalis. Proves that no matter how you treat them, no matter where they are, Muslims will always stick with their own kin, in this case, the Pigs from Piggistan.

mind what you say !

the category you used is also identified with a number of BRFites here.

Learn to use the correct term, bangladeshi.

Bearded the lion in his den!

[SRoy]

It's only a matter of time before the BD media & public opinion goes anti-India & starts blaming India & RAW for the massacre. Completely ungrateful people, these Bengalis. Proves that no matter how you treat them, no matter where they are, Muslims will always stick with their own kin, in this case, the Pigs from Piggistan.

mind what you say !

the category you used is also identified with a number of BRFites here.

Learn to use the correct term, bangladeshi.

Let it stay. Its a Fruedian slip.

[Stan_Savljevic]

Six suspected members of militant outfits Hizb-ut-Tahrir and Hizb-ut Tauhid have been arrested in Dhaka and Tongi, police said Monday. Four youths were caught distributing Hizb-ut-Tahrir leaflets with messages on the BDR mutiny, Shahbagh police chief Rezaul Islam told bdnews24.com.

"The leaflets read: Raise your voice against the Indian conspiracy to destroy the army and the border guards, and the government's inaction" said Islam.

Two youths, 'Zubair' and Shamim Ahmed, were arrested at Shahbagh intersection Sunday night and another two young men, Nader Jamil and Mehedi Hassan, at nearby Shishu Park, said the officer. He said all four were produced in court Monday. Tongi police chief Abdus Salam said two men were caught at Pubail with leaflets of the disbanded militant outfit Hizb-ut-Tauhid.

"The leaflets depicted the BDR headquarters massacre committed on Feb 25-26," he said. Police seized a huge number of leaflets from Shakil Mahmud Shabuj of Tangail and Kamaluddin Jewel of Haydarabad in Rajshahi, said Salam. The leaflets, bearing the same message as Hizb-ut-Tahrir's, urged people to speak out against the "Indian conspiracy to destroy the army and the border guards and the government's inaction".

Salam said Hizb-ut-Tahrir was not yet banned but its messages were similar to that of the now banned Hizb-ut-Tauhid. "The arrestees are being interrogated. They will be sent to the chief metropolitan magistrate's court at Gazipur [Monday] and remanded," he said.

bdnews24.com/corr/lh/ff/aj/gna/wz/rah/1556h.

Retired civil servant Anisuzzaman Khan replaces home minister Sahara Khatun as head of BDR mutiny probe body in changes that boost the committee strength to 11 and include more military officers. The home ministry announced Monday the Armed Forces Division will now have three nominees—one each from the three forces—and the army's Judge Advocate General will join the inquiry.

The changes came after calls that the home minister, being head of the government team in talks with the mutineers, should be removed from the investigation process. The state minister for law, Quamrul Islam, was also dropped from the committee as he was part of the government negotiation team. Anisuzzaman will take over more than 48 hours after the Sahara-led six-strong team began work, visiting the key places of occurrence Saturday.

The new director general of BDR, Brig Gen Moinul Hossain, will also be part of the new team that now includes the law secretary, a senior PMO official, a Cabinet Division official and a top police officer. The additional home secretary will act as member secretary.

Normalcy restored -- BNP vs AL

Main opposition BNP walked out of parliament Monday in protest at government-controlled BTV not broadcasting opposition leader Khaleda Zia's speech to condole BDR bloodbath the day before. "The speech of the opposition leader was not broadcast on BTV, but right after hers, the prime minister's speech was aired," opposition chief whip Joynal Abdin Farrouqe told deputy speaker Shawkat Ali on a point of order.

The obituary reference was brought in parliament Sunday after the senseless carnage in the BDR headquarters in the capital during a revolt by some renegade BDR personnel on Feb. 25-26. He said the oath-taking ceremony of the opposition was also not aired even after the speaker had issued a warning. "BTV belongs to no-one alone, it belongs to the people of the country. "So we're walking out in protest at the opposition leader's speech not being broadcast," Farrouqe said.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/l ... ?nid=15347

Army, Rab and police have begun 'Operation Rebel Hunt' from this (Monday) morning to arrest the absconding rebels of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and to recover missing firearms and ammunition. "Yes, army will also take part in the action. They will be in operation until all the rebels are arrested," the home minister told reporters while leaving her office today.

"We have already filed a case and taken every necessary step to arrest the rebels. Nobody should worry about this," she said. The government yesterday decided to deploy the army across the country for an indefinite time. The home ministry issued a notice in this regard hours after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held talks with army officers at Sena Kunja at the Dhaka Cantonment yesterday.

[Rahul M]

Where did I show disrespect to any Indian? Please do not blow things out of proportion, it was absolutely clear that I was referring to Bangladeshis & not anyone else.

not to worry, it was not said in any ill will and that is recognised.

it may interest you that the BDs, especially those that are meant in your post always refer to themselves as bangladeshis and frown when they are called bengalis, in an effort to distance themselves from the bengali speaking population of India.

not that we mind ! and in this case, I was trying to do the same, a loosely spoken word, even when not uttered in spite can cause damage and I was trying to avoid the friendly fire.

would have done the same in similar cases of across the border populations of shared linguistic traits viz. punjabis and tamils for example.

[Lalmohan]

Chandragupta, you are witnessing the pride Indian Bengalis have in being Indian first

[RayC]

We are proud to be Bengalis and more so, Indians.

We are just ribbing.

Poor chap in his justifiable anger just forgot that there are Bengalis and there are more Bengalis!

[himadri]

....
Lesson: If you know what a Jacobson radical means in terms of algebraic notions, the following "theorem" will make sense to you: A radical on the left is the same as that on the right.

That is the best application of Jacobson radical in my knowledge. What a realization of the theorem. I think I have to go over my commutative algebra once again with this light.

[Chandragupta]

I can understand. One of my friends who was in UK recently had some Pakistani chaps at his place of work and when anyone would confuse them to be Indians, he, with a miffed face, would correct them every single time. "No, no, no. I'm from India, these guys are Pakistanis". My apologies to my Bengali brothers.

[Singha]

Bangladesh to reorganise paramilitary BDR after bloody revolt

Mon, Mar 2 10:15 PM

Dhaka, Mar 2 (PTI) The Bangladesh government today decided to reorganise and rename the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) in view of the deadly two-day mutiny in the paramilitary force that left at least 73 army officers dead. "The government in principle decided to rename and reorganise Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) as soon as possible," Chief of General Staff of Army Sinha Ibne Jamali said here.

He added the new name of the troops has not yet been finalised and discussions are underway on the matter. Earlier, a senior BDR officer identified as the "ring leader" of the bloody rebellion, has been arrested and a massive manhunt was underway to track down about 1,000 fugitive soldiers facing murder charges.

Touhidul Alam, Deputy Assistant Director of the BDR, who led a rebel delegation in talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has been taken into custody while attempting to flee the country, said Nabo Jyoti Khisha, the chief of Lalbagh police station where a case has been filed. Meanwhile, Pakistan rubbished media reports alleging its involvement in the internal affairs of Bangladesh in the wake of the rebellion by BDR soldiers.

"Pakistan firmly believes in the principles of non-intervention and non-interference. Pakistan and Bangaldesh enjoy close, friendly and cooperative ties," the Foreign Office spokesman said in a statement.

"These reports are obviously baseless and mala fide," it said. Reports in certain Indian media have alleged Pakistani links to the BDR mutiny.

PTI.

[Singha]

Ring leader of BDR revolt arrested; troops launch manhunt

Mon, Mar 2 10:15 PM

Anisur Rahman Dhaka, Mar 2 (PTI) A senior officer of Bangladesh paramilitary force, BDR, who is suspected to have led the bloody rebellion, was today arrested while attempting to flee the country as the army launched a massive hunt for about 1,000 fugitives facing murder charges. "I have summoned the army and other forces to hunt them (BDR rebels)," Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told Parliament after the 24-hour deadline given to the absconders to surrender.

Home Minister Shahara Khatoon said the soldiers are helping the police and and local authorities and will continue "as long as necessary". Touhidul Alam, Deputy Assistant Director of the BDR, who led a rebel delegation in talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has been taken into custody while attempting to flee the country, said Nabo Jyoti Khisha, the chief of Lalbagh police station where a case has been filed.

"The massacre took place under his (Alam's) leadership .

The rebels had accepted him as their leader," Khisha said.

Police claimed that they have gathered "enough evidence" against Alam and other conspirators of the two-day mutiny during which 73 army officers were killed while 72 are still missing. PTI.

[Stan_Savljevic]

Sounds very spooky

The army on Monday revised the number of its missing officers down to just seven, and that of the dead to 56. On Saturday, as emotions ran high among the ranks after the massacre by the mutineers, the military intelligence chief Brig Gen Mahmud Hossain said 72 were still missing, 63 were dead and 33 officers were found alive. Just two days later, the army's chief of general staff lieutenant general Sina Ibne Jamali released names of the seven missing officers to reporters at a briefing Monday. Col Gulzar Uddin Ahmed {responsible for investigation into the Bangla Bhai case}, Lt col Manzur Elahi, Major Abu Sayed Gazzali Dastgir, Major Ahmed Azizul Hakim, Major Kazi Ashraf Hossain, Major Makbul Hossain and Captain Tanvir Haider Noor are the missing. {Before I could finish editing this, the 7 became 6 with Maj Makbul Hossain off the list!} "Fifty-six bodies of (army) officers have been found. Not 63 (as army intelligence chief)," Gen Jamali said. "Forty officers were rescued alive." Asked by the reporters, the general tried to come up with an explanation.

"We took some time to get to this. Those who could give us the information ... we tried to collate various pieces of information ... now we can say only seven are missing ... maybe two-three days later we'll come know about one or two more ... because all these officers came from all over the country ... (they) came from other organisations. There may be errors in case of one or two."

Army inquiry
The general announced the army's own team of investigators will work to unravel the mystery of the Feb 25-25 mutiny. "An army investigation team led by Lt Gen Jahangir (Alam Chowdhury) will begin work from tomorrow," general Jamali said. Gen Jahangir is a former BDR chief.

Border force to be re-branded
The general also said Bangladesh's border force might have its name changed. "It may change very soon. That's been the decision." {Hmm whats the organizational change proposed to BDR?}

Sunday's meeting with PM
The general also answered questions about the three-hour meeting between the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, and the army officers at Sena Kunja Sunday. "The prime minister came to talk to us. She heard the officers, their woes and complaints. "She assured them of quick steps according to law. "And one of the important steps is a special tribunal. If necessary, the parliament will pass necessary legislation. "(Another is) formation of an independent inquiry committee which will have three officers of the rank of brigadier from our three forces." The government reconstituted the probe body Monday, naming a former civil servant as its chief and dropping both the home minister and the state minister for law. Three representatives of the AFD, the new BDR chief and army's Judge Advocate General were made members of the now 11-strong committee. The previous six-member committee had only one AFD representative.

The Daily Star reports more on this confusion:

About the previous figures, he said, “Those were assumptions, and the numbers we are giving now are based on confirmed information.” Meanwhile, an army source told this correspondent late at night that they had mistakenly included among the missing ones an officer whose body was already sent to his village home.

Other sources said 101/102 army officers were at BDR Pilkhana when disgruntled border troops seized control of the compound. They said it might take some more time to confirm the number and also the break-ups like how many have died and how many survived. They said the confusion over the figures was because almost all bodies retrieved were in BDR uniforms and so they took many BDR personnel for army officers.

On missing bodies

“One possibility is that a few officers might have been taken hostage by the mutineers fleeing the scene. Besides, there's a chance that bodies dumped in the sewers have drifted far along the Buriganga,” said a source.

Army does nt trust AL as BRaman had said

The army announced on Monday its own team of investigators will work to unravel the mystery of the Feb 25-25 mutiny. "An army investigation team led by Lt Gen Jahangir (Alam Chowdhury) will begin work from tomorrow," the chief of general staff lieutenant general Sina Ibne Jamali told reporters at the army headquarters. Gen Jahangir is a former BDR chief.

Pranabda uvacha

India Monday termed the massacre inside the BDR headquarters "barbaric acts" aimed at destabilising a democratically elected government. In his letter to prime minister Sheikh Hasina, external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee has also conveyed "deepest condolences" of the Indian government to the people of Bangladesh, the army and the families of those who lost their near and dear ones.

In a separate statement, Mukherjee also told reporters that Bangladesh was capable of resolving the problems stemming from the situation, and it would not meddle in Dhaka's internal affairs. "The Sheikh Hasina government is competent enough to solve the problem. They know how to deal with the current situation," Mukherjee said in Beherampore in West Bengal.

"The country is being run by a democratically elected government which has come to power with a huge mandate. "Sheikh Hasina was a prime minister for five years earlier. They will solve all problems on their own," he said. In his letter, Mukherjee offered "whatever support and assistance that Bangladesh may require at this juncture". The contents of the letter were disclosed to reporters by external affairs ministry spokesperson Vishnu Prakash in the afternoon.

Eleven fake revolvers have been recovered at the site of the BDR mutiny, an army officer said Monday. The plastic handguns, difficult to differentiate from real ones at a distance, were found along with abandoned live arms recovered during the ongoing search operation at the Peelkhana headquarters.

"These are 'toy' guns," the army officer told reporters at the Rifles Family Welfare Association office, where they were displayed along with 23 rifles, three sub-machine guns, four light-machine guns, 23 grenades and 11 walkie-talkies. But no officials would specify the spot at which the fake guns were recovered. The government and experts have said the mutiny, in which scores of army officers deputed to the BDR were slain, was a "well-planned massacre".

[Nesoj]

It's only a matter of time before the BD media & public opinion goes anti-India & starts blaming India & RAW for the massacre. Completely ungrateful people, these Bangladeshis. Proves that no matter how you treat them, no matter where they are, Muslims will always stick with their own kin, in this case, the Pigs from Piggistan.

The 'Indian Conspiracy Theories' have already started. The last couple of days postings in popular BD forums shows the change in mood from one of sorrow about the killings to blaming India for the same.
http://www.banglacricket.com/alochona/s ... post834354
If this is the attitude of the so called 'educated computer savy elite', what to say of the uneducated bumpkin.

[ramana]

Very risky for TSP to initiate Islamization of BD while they are going under themselves. Id ont see how SH can hold back on the BDA to clean up the Islamists and BDR at same time.

[Nesoj]

We are proud to be Bengalis and more so, Indians.
Poor chap in his justifiable anger just forgot that there are Bengalis and there are more Bengalis!

Just a clarification.

In West Bengal, I heard that there are subdivisions.
- Those who call themselves as 'Bangals', prefer 'hilsa' mach and support 'East Bengal' - migrants from the East during partition
- Those who call themselves as 'Bangalis', prefer 'chingdi' mach and support 'Mohan Bagan' - originally of the West

Is this true or just a fable ? Heard about it, just wanted to confirm

PS : I am not aware if there is anything derogatory in these words (like Paki in UK) ... it was from a friend of mine over a glass of malt. If so my apologies in advance .....

[anjali]

I am saddened and at the same time annoyed reading about the Bangladeshi attitude toward India.

I really agree with Gautam's earlier post about how we should if anything build bigger better barricades and isolate that failing/failed state. Any attempts to help those pathetic people only serve to add to our woes. They are inherently ungrateful (years of conditioning) and venomous.

The more we extend ourselves to aid them in their misery, the more angry and envious they seem to get. Show them the boot, and they will be licking it in due course.

[Nesoj]

6 'Hizb-ut' men arrested with leaflets on mutiny

http://www.theindependent-bd.com/details.php?nid=117341

Six suspected members of militant outfits Hizb-ut-Tahrir and Hizb-ut Tauhid have been arrested in Dhaka and Tongi, police said yesterday.
Four youths were caught distributing Hizb-ut-Tahrir leaflets with messages on the BDR mutiny, Shahbagh police chief Rezaul Islam told the news agency.
"The leaflets read: Raise your voice against the Indian conspiracy to destroy the army and the border guards, and the government's inaction" said Islam.
Two youths, 'Zubair' and Shamim Ahmed, were arrested at Shahbagh intersection Sunday night and another two young men, Nader Jamil and Mehedi Hassan, at nearby Shishu Park, said the officer.
He said all four were produced in court yesterday.
Tongi police chief Abdus Salam said two men were caught at Pubail with leaflets of the disbanded militant outfit Hizb-ut-Tauhid.
"The leaflets depicted the BDR headquarters massacre committed on Feb 25-26," he said.
Police seized a huge number of leaflets from Shakil Mahmud Shabuj of Tangail and Kamaluddin Jewel of Haydarabad in Rajshahi, said Salam.
The leaflets, bearing the same message as Hizb-ut-Tahrir's, urged people to speak out against the "Indian conspiracy to destroy the army and the border guards and the government's inaction".
Salam said Hizb-ut-Tahrir was not yet banned but its messages were similar to that of the now banned Hizb-ut-Tauhid.
"The arrestees are being interrogated. They will be sent to the chief metropolitan magistrate's court at Gazipur [Monday] and remanded," he said.

[Nesoj]

Bangladesh: February Massacre & Operation Rebel Hunt
http://www.weeklyblitz.net/index.php?id=428
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury

The investigators are mainly putting focus on the following points:

1.After learning about the incident, why the government did not allow army to go into operations,

2.Why time was wasted in the name of political settlement,

3.Why the risk of lives of 168 army officers were not considered with due importance,

4.Some politicians belonging to the ruling party tried to waste time in the name of political settlement. Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Mirza Azam and a number of important figures in the ruling party are already in the list of such elements,

5.Why the government waited till 1:00 pm although they knew about the incident sometime before 10:00 am in taking minimum initiatives in resolving the crisis,

6.How the derailed killers were able to give interview to a particular television channel,

7.While none could enter, how media managed to enter and collect anti-army propaganda materials from the culprits,

8.Why the Home Minister did not visit the spot immediately after the incident,

9.What was the topic of conversation between the mutineers and government’s delegation Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Mirza Azam,

10.Who took Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Mirza Azam inside the BDR headquarters,

11.How the mutineers were taken in luxurious government vehicles [with black tinted glass] to the Prime Minister,

12.Why the mutineers taken to Prime Minister were not properly dressed [they did not have belt and cap],

13.Why these mutineers were not asked about the whereabouts of the director general before their meeting with the Prime Minister,

14.Why the mutineers gave false information to the Prime Minister such as, the hostages are in safe custody and there are 15,000 mutineer troops inside the BDR headquarters [there is information that the real number of troops inside were not more than five thousand. In this case, investigators are questioning about the identity of the remaining 10,000 people. They are having doubts as to whether these 10,000 were hired goons and culprits from outside in uniform],

15.Who helped the mutineers in escaping,

16.Who seized the power connection at Pilkhana BDR headquarters thus making way for the culprits to flee,

17.Some of the released officers have told that, killers continued to kill the army officers in phases. Many were killed after the declaration of general amnesty and during negotiation with the government,

18.Why the government did not set a pre-condition of giving general amnesty in exchange of release of all the hostages inside the BDR headquarters,

19.How the 14 members of the negotiation team, who went to the Prime Minister were selected. Who selected them,

20.Why the negotiators on behalf of the government never tried to know the whereabouts of the held officers and their family members,

21.Why dead bodies of the killed officers were not demanded prior to any negotiation,

22.The investigators are also investigating a fact that, while massacre was continuing inside the BDR headquarters, one army officer was engaged in sending fax messages to various people in support of mutineers and alleging the director general [Weekly Blitz has investigated this matter and learnt that one officer in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel sent such messages. This officer communicated with a large number of people who are aligned with the ruling party],

23.Wherefrom red and yellow bandanas and masks were taken inside the BDR headquarters,

24.One of the escaped officers gave extensive information on how the incident was taking place. He also claims that he was hidden inside a house. In this case, question is, how he managed to witness the entire happenings in the BDR compound when he was hiding under a bed,

25.This officer also said that, in the room where he was hiding, he was also watching the television and listened to the address of the Prime Minister. Here the investigators are curious to know, how for a man, whose life is in danger can afford to see the television,

26.Another escaped officer [a Major] told in an interview that, he wad hiding above the false ceiling of Darbar Hall. He also described that, during the entire Massacre, he moved from one place to another, thus finally coming back to the ceiling. Question here is how he managed to escape the eyes of thousands of mutineers and killers. Secondly he said, while hiding in the ceiling, he heard someone calling his name in the megaphone. He pepped through the holes of the ceiling and found Mirza Azam there. Here the investigators are curious to know, as to how Mirza Azam was sure about this officer’s hiding place,

27.The investigators are also trying to understand as to why the Prime Minister was hurriedly shifted from her personal residence to State Guest House in the name of security lacking,

28.A foreign intelligence agency suggested the Prime Minister to shift quickly to the secured State Guest House hurriedly. Investigators are also trying to find out motive behind such message of that foreign intelligence agency,

29.The investigators are also trying to find out as to why any responsible minister of the government did not rush to the spot, where dead bodies of army officers were recovered from a sewage line,

30.State Minister for Law Affairs told reporters much before the surrender of arms that fifty army officers were killed in the Massacre. Wherefrom the State Minister got this figure and if they demanded the dead bodies of these 50 officers.

.........

[Rahul M]

We are proud to be Bengalis and more so, Indians.
Poor chap in his justifiable anger just forgot that there are Bengalis and there are more Bengalis!

Just a clarification.

In West Bengal, I heard that there are subdivisions.
- Those who call themselves as 'Bangals', prefer 'hilsa' mach and support 'East Bengal' - migrants from the East during partition
- Those who call themselves as 'Bangalis', prefer 'chingdi' mach and support 'Mohan Bagan' - originally of the West

Is this true or just a fable ? Heard about it, just wanted to confirm

PS : I am not aware if there is anything derogatory in these words (like Paki in UK) ... it was from a friend of mine over a glass of malt. If so my apologies in advance .....

correct in all but one point, the second category is known as edeshio(lit: from this country) or ghoti, bangali is for both.
I'm an EB supporter btw !

[Nesoj]

correct in all but one point, the second category is known as edeshio(lit: from this country) or ghoti, bangali is for both.
I'm an EB supporter btw !

Thanks , I was having second thoughts whether to delete my post. Wouldn't want to upset my fellow Bengalis on the forum

Saw this news item today... we go all the way trying to help the BD's and all we get is abuse and conspiracy theories. No reports against the Thai's in any newspaper.

49 BD nationals rescued from Andaman return home
http://www.the-editor.net/english/details.php?cat=194
Indian border security force (BSF) on Sunday handed over 49 Bangladeshi nationals rescued from sea near the Andaman in last December to BDR at Benapole check post.
Most of them hailed from Chittagong and Cox's Bazar, BDR sources said. Thai navy caught them in their territory as the middlemen left them in the mid-sea in six trawlers.
Thai police kept them confined for 15 days and after taking off the engines of the trawlers set them drifting in the deep sea. Indian coast guard and navy rescued them after12 days floating in the sea.
Atique, one of the returnees, said the manpower agents had recruited 405 Bangladeshis for employment in Malaysia. Each of them paid Tk 13,000 to the manpower agents. Of them, 305 died in the high sea. ''My two brothers are among those died. We all faced starvation for 15 days on the sea'', Atique said.
They were earlier rescued in a precarious condition from Andaman Sea. They were reportedly recruited by the manpower export agents for employment in Malaysia and sailed in six trawlers in December. But they were dumped on way in the high sea.
Indian coastal guards rescued 445 Bangladeshi and Myanmar nationals. Bangladesh government identified 49 persons as Bangladeshi nationals and they were sent to Bangladesh on completion of formalities.