Massacre probe report is a headache for rulers in Bangladesh

Commerce Minister Lt. Col. (Retired) recently said the BDR massacre was not simply a "mutiny", but a deep-rooted conspiracy to destabilize the present government in Bangladesh.

"A good number of people, who were involved in the bloodbath at BDR headquarters, have been identified through confessional statements," said Faruq Khan.

Some 841 people have been arrested to date, 1,200 important pieces of evidence are being scrutinized, and 66 places have been marked as crime scenes, he told reporters at a briefing following the fourth meeting of the post-mutiny coordination committee.

The minister also said, "It was not a mutiny. It was instigated to destabilize the present government, create barriers to development, and undermine the reputation of the armed forces."

This is the fifth installment of changed version of statements by the minister who is also the coordinator of the three probe committees.

With the latest statement of the minister, since the term 'mutiny' is now replaced with 'massacre', which according to many is the most appropriate term to describe the bloody incident, the 'General Amnesty' announced by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed giving impunity to the people involved in the 'mutiny' stands void, as this was not any mutiny at all, but pre-planned massacre.

I have bee trying to bring up untold facts about this tragic incident for past few weeks. My write up were directly or indirectly carried in a large number of newspapers around the world. Sensing such tremendous media coverage in the international arena, some pro-Awami League people are reportedly becoming extremely active in rumors to discredit my writings. But, my readers, who know me for past few decades are aware that, in my write ups I always try to give facts, instead of biased concoctions.

Here also, I will bring up some points, which were somehow ignored in Bangladeshi and international media:

1. The massacre started at 9:30 am on February 25, 2009 (it was even confirmed by the Prime Minister in the parliament and many of the officers who survived from the Bangladesh Riffles headquarters).

2. State Minister for Local Government Ministry, Jahangir Kabir Nanak went to the BDR headquarters along with his party colleague Mirza Azam, MP at around 2:45 pm on the same day to 'negotiate' with the 'renegade' Bangladesh Riffles soldiers.

3. A 14-men delegation of the 'renegade' soldiers went to meet the Prime Minister at around 3:30 pm.

4. At 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.

5. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was already informed about this matter and she questioned the killer delegation when they met her along with others.

6. Prime Minister asked Deputy Assistant Director of BDR, Towhidul Islam (one of the kingpins) about the recovery of the dead bodies, where he endorsed the fact of killing 'some of the officers including the DG'.

7. The Prime Minister did not inquire the names of the murdered officers as well whereabouts of their dead bodies, although at 6:00 pm she announced the amnesty without setting any pre-condition with the 'mutineers' to handover the dead bodies and provide details of the surviving officers and members of their families.

8. Although general amnesty was declared at 6:00 pm and BDR men already came to know about this through television channels as well as from their 14-member kingpin delegation returning from the PMs Office, firing inside the BDR headquarters did not stop. Murder and brutality on the officers and members of their families continued inside the BDR headquarters taking the advantage of snatched power connection and general amnesty.

9. Female members were physically abused during the dark hours of February 25, 2009 when the soldiers came to know that all of their acts will be pardoned through the General Amnesty declared by the Prime Minister.

10. 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? Or, this was a 'reward' for their 'cooperation' in letting the mutineers flee from the BDR headquarters under directives from the powerful quarters in the government?

11. According to a poll conducted by a website titled 'Bangladesh Military Forces' (www.bdmilitary.com), asking “Do you think the government is manipulating the BDR massacre probe?”, more than 80 per cent of the people said 'YES', while only 12 per cent said 'NO'. Does it reflect the minds of the Bangladeshi people? If, yes, then certainly there should be every reason to question government's sincerity in holding a 'neutral' investigation into the matter.

12. State Minister for LGRD, Jahangir Kabir Nanak suddenly left Bangladesh with mysterious ailment. No further single word from the government on his 'physical condition' nor there is a single word uttered by anyone in the administration about the name of the medical center in Singapore where he is under treatment.

13. Several expatriates in Singapore saw Mr. Nanak in 'good mood' and 'stable healthy condition' in a number of places in Singapore. At least four more influential figures in the ruling party also tried to leave the country during last week, whose names came as suspected abettors of the bloody massacre.

14. There is no investigation by the government to find out the names of the people who helped several 'mutineers' in fleeing the country through special passage within the boarding bridge area. It may be mentioned here that younger brother of Jatiyo Party chairman Hussain Muhammed Ershad, G. M. Qader is in charge of the Civil Aviation Ministry. Qader was already known to be an Awami League loyalist inside Jatiyo Party.

15. Bangladesh missions abroad are briefed for all possible initiatives in stopping any press coverage or follow-up reports on the BDR massacre issue. Such actions may certainly generate many confusions and doubts.

16. The case of Awami League leader Torab Ali Akhand, who was arrested along with his son for their involvement behind the BDR Massacre are suddenly blacked-out from the media coverage. It was earlier mentioned that Torab was willing to record confessional statements in connection to the massacre. But, the sudden fishy behavior of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in letting Torab to give confessional statement or suddenly putting him on 'media isolation' is very interesting. Some of the leaked information on the interrogation of Torab Ali Akhand indicates that names of heavyweight people in the government and the ruling party already came prominently as the abettors of the massacre. Sending Torap to media isolation may be a part of efforts by the ruling party in salvaging their men from being tried in Court Martial for their involvement in the massacre.

Proper investigation and quick trial of the killers, collaborators and instigators of the BDR massacre has already become a demand of the people of Bangladesh. And, they are look for the army investigation report, which according to all are hoped to be accurate, unbiased and neutral.