Dhaka: The High Court (HC) has issued a directive for the relevant authorities to resolve a petition within ten days, which calls for the establishment of an independent investigation commission to uncover the truth behind the 2009 Pilkhana BDR headquarters carnage. This rule was issued by a division bench comprising Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debashish Roy Chowdhury in response to a writ petition filed by two Supreme Court (SC) lawyers. The court has scheduled the next hearing for November 24.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the petition was filed by SC lawyers Md Tanvir Ahmed and Biplab Kumar Poddar as a public interest litigation on October 20. The petitioners also requested the court to declare February 25 as “Shaheed Sena Dibos” (martyred soldier day). The petition was presented by SC lawyer Tanvir Ahmed, supported by lawyer Biplab Kumar Poddar, while Deputy Attorney General Tanim Khan represented the state.
During the court session, Tanvir Ahmed highlighted the absence of a nationally
published investigation report identifying the culprits and masterminds behind the Pilkhana massacre. He noted that after the fall of the Awami League (AL) government on August 5, families of the victims and former army officers have provided new information regarding the incident. Ahmed emphasized claims suggesting that the initial investigation was improperly conducted, prompting the submission of a petition to the Home Ministry on November 3 for the formation of a national independent investigation commission.
The tragic events at the Pilkhana headquarters of the erstwhile Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), now Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), on February 25-26, 2009, resulted in the deaths of 74 individuals, including 57 army officials. In response, a Dhaka court on November 5, 2013, sentenced 150 BDR members and two civilians to death and imposed life imprisonment on 160 others in connection with the murder case. Ultimately, 256 people, mostly BDR soldiers, received jail sentences, while 278 others were acquitted.
T
he HC’s subsequent verdict on November 27, 2017, confirmed the death penalty for 139 individuals and life terms for 185 others, with 228 accused receiving various jail terms and 45 individuals acquitted. The state has pursued leave to appeals against 83 accused, either acquitted or received commuted sentences. Notably, BNP leader and former lawmaker Nasir Uddin Ahmed Pintu was among the accused in this historic case, though he later died in jail.