Pilkhana tragedy

Families recall slain army officers

The families of Army men brutally killed at the Pilkhana headquarters of the then Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) during a revolt by some BDR members, which began on February 25, 2009, hope the killers would be given exemplary punishment to deter any military or paramilitary unit from committing such gruesome acts. Most of the members of the families of the victims were overwhelmed with emotion while remembering the incident.
The Independent, among others, spoke to Md Jafarullah, the younger brother of martyr Lt. Col. Golam Kibria Mohammad Niamatullah. The officer’s uniformed body had been recovered on March 1, 2009, four days after the massacre began, from the Nawabganj sluice gate near Kamrangirchar, where the bodies of eight other officers had also washed up. ‘‘Since I will never get back my brother, I want exemplary punishment for those involved in the barbaric killing of the brilliant Army officers,” said Jafarullah.
Lt. Col. Golam Kibria’s body was probably dumped over the wall of the BDR compound into a Hazaribagh sewerage channel, Jafarullah told this correspondent.
Replying to a question, the shocked brother said, ‘‘We need such punishment that ordinary people and the victims’ families will consider proper.”
‘‘The punishment should convey the message that there were many ways to realise their demands but this was not the right way. The punishment should have such a message for all,’’ said Jafarullah, who is a deputy secretary at the office of the President.
He praised the government for giving various kinds of financial help to the families of the Army martyrs, saying, ‘‘Now we are only waiting for the exemplary punishment for those involved in causing an irreparable loss to the nation by killing these 57 brilliant Army officers.”
He said the slain Lt. Col. Golam Kibria had two daughters: the elder one is currently an MBBS student at the Armed Forces’ Medical College (AFMC), while the younger one is a Class IX student at the Bangladesh International School and College (BISC), managed by the Bangladesh Army Headquarters in the Dhaka Cantonment.
As promised by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the wife of the slain army officer, as those of the other victims, was given jobs in the state-owned Petrobangla.
Like other relatives of the Army martyrs, Kohinur Begum, mother of slain Maj. Mizanur Rahman, came to the Banani graveyard on the eighth anniversary of the tragedy. She broke down after offering a special prayer for her son. At one point, she sat next to her son’s grave, and Army personnel, moved by the heart-wrenching scene, came forward to console her.
‘‘I am an unfortunate mother. I am living with a severe pain in my chest for eight years,’’ she said. ‘‘My son was totally innocent,” the weeping mother added.
Maj. Mizan had two sons. The elder son, Tahsin Rahman Rami, is a student at the Mirzapur Cadet College, and the younger, Fardin Rahman Sami, is a Class IV student at a school in the city’s Banani area. They, too, wept, standing next to their grandmother.
Recalling the days, Rami said, ‘‘That morning, my father had left the house, having said good-bye. He was scheduled to wear his new rank of Lt. Col. that day but, just after two days later, his body returned home.’’
That red-letter day had become the worst day of their lives. “I want to be an Army officer like my father,” Rami added.
Only nine months before the Pilkhana massacre, Rami and Sami had lost their mother Rebeka Farhana Rosy, who died of a brain tumour. The orphans now live with their grandmother.
As Sami was only three years old, he has no recollection of his father. But he, nonetheless, was emotionally broken, like his grandmother and brother.
Farzana Afrin, the wife of another martyr, Army soldier Zahirul Islam, said, ‘‘Now we only want exemplary punishment for the killers.”
Habibur Rahman, father of Col. Kudrat Elahi Rahman Shafiq, said, “I beg justice from the Almighty Allah.”
He added: “My life has become unliveable since the killing of my son,” the shocked father said, adding he was unable to bear the pain any more.
Meanwhile, special prayers were offered at the mosque of the Border Guard Bangladesh (Pilkhana headquarters) after the Fajr prayers, seeking divine blessings for the departed souls.
Wreaths were placed at the graves of the Army officers at the Banani Graveyard at 9:10am on behalf of President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Later, the home minister, the chiefs of the three services, the home secretary, and the BGB director-general paid their tributes to the slain Army officers. Seventy-four people, including 57 Army officers, were killed in the BDR mutiny at the Pilkhana headquarters in Dhaka on February 25–26, 2009. The paramilitary force was later renamed Border Guard Bangladesh.

Pilkhana tragedy

Families recall slain army officers

The families of Army men brutally killed at the Pilkhana headquarters of the then Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) during a revolt by some BDR members, which began on February 25, 2009, hope the killers would be given exemplary punishment to deter any military or paramilitary unit from committing such gruesome acts. Most of the members of the families of the victims were overwhelmed with emotion while remembering the incident. The Independent, among others, spoke to Md Jafarullah, the younger brother of martyr Lt. Col. Golam Kibria Mohammad Niamatullah. The officers uniformed body had been recovered on March 1, 2009, four days after the massacre began, from the Nawabganj sluice gate near Kamrangirchar, where the bodies of eight other officers had also washed up. Since I will never get back my brother, I want exemplary punishment for those involved in the barbaric killing of the brilliant Army officers, said Jafarullah. Lt. Col. Golam Kibrias body was probably dumped over the wall of the BDR compound into a Hazaribagh sewerage channel, Jafarullah told this correspondent. Replying to a question, the shocked brother said, We need such punishment that ordinary people and the victims families will consider proper. The punishment should convey the message that there were many ways to realise their demands but this was not the right way. The punishment should have such a message for all, said Jafarullah, who is a deputy secretary at the office of the President. He praised the government for giving various kinds of financial help to the families of the Army martyrs, saying, Now we are only waiting for the exemplary punishment for those involved in causing an irreparable loss to the nation by killing these 57 brilliant Army officers. He said the slain Lt. Col. Golam Kibria had two daughters: the elder one is currently an MBBS student at the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), while the younger one is a Class IX student at the Bangladesh International School and College (BISC), managed by the Bangladesh Army Headquarters in the Dhaka Cantonment. As promised by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the wife of the slain army officer, as those of the other victims, was given jobs in the state-owned Petrobangla. Like other relatives of the Army martyrs, Kohinur Begum, mother of slain Maj. Mizanur Rahman, came to the Banani graveyard on the eighth anniversary of the tragedy. She broke down after offering a special prayer for her son. At one point, she sat next to her sons grave, and Army personnel, moved by the heart-wrenching scene, came forward to console her. I am an unfortunate mother. I am living with a severe pain in my chest for eight years, she said. My son was totally innocent, the weeping mother added. Maj. Mizan had two sons. The elder son, Tahsin Rahman Rami, is a student at the Mirzapur Cadet College, and the younger, Fardin Rahman Sami, is a Class IV student at a school in the citys Banani area. They, too, wept, standing next to their grandmother. Recalling the days, Rami said, That morning, my father had left the house, having said good-bye. He was scheduled to wear his new rank of Lt. Col. that day but, just after two days later, his body returned home. That red-letter day had become the worst day of their lives. I want to be an Army officer like my father, Rami added. Only nine months before the Pilkhana massacre, Rami and Sami had lost their mother Rebeka Farhana Rosy, who died of a brain tumour. The orphans now live with their grandmother. As Sami was only three years old, he has no recollection of his father. But he, nonetheless, was emotionally broken, like his grandmother and brother. Farzana Afrin, the wife of another martyr, Army soldier Zahirul Islam, said, Now we only want exemplary punishment for the killers. Habibur Rahman, father of Col. Kudrat Elahi Rahman Shafiq, said, I beg justice from the Almighty Allah. He added: My life has become unliveable since the killing of my son, the shocked father said, adding he was unable to bear the pain any more. Meanwhile, special prayers were offered at the mosque of the Border Guard Bangladesh (Pilkhana headquarters) after the Fajr prayers, seeking divine blessings for the departed souls. Wreaths were placed at the graves of the Army officers at the Banani Graveyard at 9:10am on behalf of President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Later, the home minister, the chiefs of the three services, the home secretary, and the BGB director-general paid their tributes to the slain Army officers. Seventy-four people, including 57 Army officers, were killed in the BDR mutiny at the Pilkhana headquarters in Dhaka on February 2526, 2009. The paramilitary force was later renamed Border Guard Bangladesh.