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HC Issues Rule on Independent Probe into Pilkhana Massacre
The High Court (HC) on Tuesday issued a rule directing relevant authorities to dispose of a writ petition within 10 days. The petition calls for the formation of an independent investigation commission to uncover the full truth behind the 2009 BDR massacre at Pilkhana.
The HC bench, comprising Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debashish Roy Chowdhury, issued the rule after hearing the petition filed for the government's directive to establish the commission. The court has set November 24 for the next hearing.
The writ petition was filed on October 20 by lawyers Md Tanvir Ahmed and Biplab Kumar Poddar as public interest litigation. In their petition, they also sought the HC’s directive to declare February 25 as "Shaheed Sena Dibos" (Martyrs' Soldier Day), to honor those killed in the massacre.
Lawyer Tanvir Ahmed, who moved the petition, expressed concerns that no comprehensive investigation report had been released regarding the perpetrators and masterminds behind the Pilkhana carnage. He noted that since the fall of the Awami League government in 2009, new information has emerged from the families of victims and former army officers, indicating that the investigation may not have been carried out thoroughly.
On November 3, the petitioners had submitted a formal request to the Home Ministry, asking for the establishment of a national independent commission to investigate the incident and declare February 25 as a day of remembrance for the fallen soldiers.
The tragic events at the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) headquarters in Pilkhana occurred on February 25-26, 2009, when 74 people, including 57 army officials, were killed during a violent mutiny by BDR soldiers.
In 2013, a Dhaka court sentenced 150 BDR members to death, with another 160 individuals receiving life sentences in connection with the massacre. A total of 256 people, mostly BDR soldiers, were handed prison sentences, while 278 others were acquitted.
The HC upheld the sentences in a ruling on November 27, 2017, confirming the death penalty for 139 individuals and life sentences for 185 others. Additionally, 228 accused were given various jail terms, and 45 were acquitted. The state has filed leave to appeal against the acquittals and commuted sentences of 83 individuals.
The petitioners now seek a fresh and impartial investigation into the incident, alongside a national day of remembrance for the victims.