Pilkhana carnage anniversary observed martyrs remembered

BDR carnage - Tributes were paid to martyrs of the BDR mutiny of 2009 at the Banani Military Graveyard on Friday.

Dhaka, Feb 25 - Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) observed the Pilkhana carnage anniversary Friday with due solemnity, commemorating those who were killed on February 25-26 in 2009.  

Marking the day, the BGB arranged Quran Khwani, doa and milad mahfil at all regions, sectors, institutions, units, BOPs and BGB mosques, including the Pilkhana headquarters. 

On February 25-26, 2009, a group of renegade members of the then Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) killed 74 people, including 57 army officers at the Pilkhana headquarters of the paramilitary force in the capital.

After the carnage, the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) was renamed as BGB. 

On behalf of the President and the Prime Minister, military secretary to the President Major General SM Salahuddin Islam and the Prime Minister's military secretary Major General Naqib Ahmed Chowdhury placed wreaths at the Banani military graveyard respectively in the morning.

Besides, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, chiefs of the three forces - Chief of Army Staff General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral M Shaheen Iqbal and Chief of Air Staff of Bangladesh Air Force Air Chief Marshal Shaikh Abdul Hannan -, Senior Secretary of Public Security Division under the Ministry of Home Affairs Md Akhter Hossain, Director General (DG) of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Major General Md Shafeenul Islam and close relatives of the martyrs also placed wreaths at graves of the victims.  

After paying tributes to the martyrs at the graveyard, a one-minute silence was observed while members of the armed forces gave salute to the martyred soldiers to show respect.  

All BGB members wore black badge and BGB flags were hoisted half-mast at the places where BGB regimental flags are hoisted. Later, doa mahfil were held and prayers offered seeking the salvation of the departed souls of the martyrs.  

Milad-mahfil and special munajat were organized at the central mosques of all the cantonments on this day in the presence of army personnel of all levels seeking forgiveness for the souls of the martyrs.

Meanwhile, the Retired Armed Forces Officer's Welfare Association (RAOWA) held a special doa-mahfil in the morning at RAOWA Anchor Hall in memory of the martyred army officers in the then BDR mutiny.  

At the initiative of RAOWA, a wreath was placed at the Banani military graveyard to pay tributes to the martyrs. News Desk with agency.