BDR mutiny case

Verdict Nov 26

The High Court (HC) will deliver its order on November 26 on the death reference and appeals in the 2009 Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) killings case, the biggest ever criminal case in the country's history in terms of the numbers of accused and convicts. A three-member special bench comprising Justice Md Shawkat Hossain, Justice Md Abu Zafor Siddique and Justice Nazrul Islam Talukder yesterday fixed the date for delivering its order.

Earlier on April 13, kept the death reference and appeals as CAV (Curia Advisari Vult, a Latin legal term meaning verdict could be delivered any time), after concluding hearing.

The HC bench heard arguments from both the defence and prosecution on about 370 days on the death references of 152 now defunct Bangladesh Rifles personnel, and appeals of 419 other convicts for the carnage at its Pilkhana headquarters in Dhaka on February 25 to 26 in 2009.

The death reference and the appeals were filed before the HC months after a Dhaka court announced the verdict on November 5, 2013, nearly five years after the bloody mutiny at the BDR headquarters.

On November 5, 2013, the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court sentenced 152 people to death and 160 to life terms, and jailed 261 others for 10 years.

It acquitted 258 accused. The High Court started the hearing on the death references and appeals on special consideration from January 18, 2015.

On February 25, 2009, several hundred soldiers of the BDR (now Border Guard Bangladesh) took up weapons against their officers, deputed from the Army, at Durbar Hall during “BDR Week” at the paramilitary headquarters in Dhaka. In the two-day rebellion, 75 people, including 57 Army officers, were killed.

The mutiny ended the next day (February 26), with the surrender of firearms and grenades through negotiations between the government and the BDR rebels.

In all, 17,306 BDR jawans are facing trial in 11 special BDR courts and 60 summary trial courts for mutiny. At least 78 jawans accused in both the carnage and mutiny cases died of mysterious illnesses after the mutiny.

The authorities claimed that many of them died of heart attack in police custody, while a few others committed suicide.

BDR mutiny case

Verdict Nov 26

The High Court (HC) will deliver its order on November 26 on the death reference and appeals in the 2009 Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) killings case, the biggest ever criminal case in the countrys history in terms of the numbers of accused and convicts. A three-member special bench comprising Justice Md Shawkat Hossain, Justice Md Abu Zafor Siddique and Justice Nazrul Islam Talukder yesterday fixed the date for delivering its order. Earlier on April 13, kept the death reference and appeals as CAV (Curia Advisari Vult, a Latin legal term meaning verdict could be delivered any time), after concluding hearing. The HC bench heard arguments from both the defence and prosecution on about 370 days on the death references of 152 now defunct Bangladesh Rifles personnel, and appeals of 419 other convicts for the carnage at its Pilkhana headquarters in Dhaka on February 25 to 26 in 2009. The death reference and the appeals were filed before the HC months after a Dhaka court announced the verdict on November 5, 2013, nearly five years after the bloody mutiny at the BDR headquarters. On November 5, 2013, the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judges Court sentenced 152 people to death and 160 to life terms, and jailed 261 others for 10 years. It acquitted 258 accused. The High Court started the hearing on the death references and appeals on special consideration from January 18, 2015. On February 25, 2009, several hundred soldiers of the BDR (now Border Guard Bangladesh) took up weapons against their officers, deputed from the Army, at Durbar Hall during BDR Week at the paramilitary headquarters in Dhaka. In the two-day rebellion, 75 people, including 57 Army officers, were killed. The mutiny ended the next day (February 26), with the surrender of firearms and grenades through negotiations between the government and the BDR rebels. In all, 17,306 BDR jawans are facing trial in 11 special BDR courts and 60 summary trial courts for mutiny. At least 78 jawans accused in both the carnage and mutiny cases died of mysterious illnesses after the mutiny. The authorities claimed that many of them died of heart attack in police custody, while a few others committed suicide.