The 33-hour-long BDR mutiny started on the morning of 25 February, 2009 at Darbar Hall inside Pilkhana barracks. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited Pilkhana a day before the mutiny to inaugurate the three-day annual ‘Bangladesh Rifles Week 2009’. Mutiny triggered just a day after Hasina’s visit to Pilkhana barracks.
Mutiny staged by Bangladesh Rifles, a paramilitary force at BDR HQ, Pilkhana, Dhaka. The rebelling BDR soldiers took over the BDR headquarters in Pilkhana, killing the BDR Director-General Shakil Ahmed along with 56 other army officers and 17 civilians.
Who are the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), formerly BDR?
The BDR are a paramilitary force known as ‘The Vigilant Sentinels of the National Frontier’ who are tasked with safeguarding and protecting the 4,427 km international border against the movement of terrorists, armed ethnic groups, smuggling of narcotics and small arms as well as human trafficking from India and Myanmar.
The Border Guard Bangladesh is a paramilitary force responsible for securing Bangladesh’s border.
It has been the norm that officers who lead the Border Guard are seconded from the Bangladesh army and posted to Border duties for several years.
Bangladesh army’s corrupt practices and BDR grievances
On the surface, the most logical explanation for the mutiny would be the genuine discontent of BDR soldiers. This would explain the numerous demands they made during negotiations. Key grievances included low pay, non-payment of promised daily allowances for extra duties rendered, less annual leave than the army, and denying lucrative UN peacekeeping services.
Bangladesh Border Guard accused the Bangladesh army of corruption and illegal practices in Operation Dal-Bhaat.
BDR Munity and Sheikh Hasina’s involvement
The 33-hour-long mutiny started on the morning of 25 February at Darbar Hall inside Pilkhana barracks. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited Pilkhana a day before the mutiny to inaugurate the three-day annual ‘Bangladesh Rifles Week 2009’. During her keynote speech, PM Hasina reiterated her government’s desire to rid the BDR and the armed forces of corruption. She urged the BDR to become “more disciplined and remain ready to guard the country’s frontiers”. After the speech, a delegation of BDR rank and file approached Major General Shakil Ahmed, Director General BDR, for an audience with PM Hasina to raise their grievances. However, DG Ahmed blocked this, and the meeting never took place.
PM Hasina’s attendance on 24 February went ahead as scheduled despite earlier reports of three sub-machine guns having gone missing from the armoury and the discovery of subversive leaflets circulating inside Pilkhana. So why did PM Hasina go ahead with the scheduled visit if there were reports of agitation by BDR soldiers? Furthermore, PM Hasina cancelled her attendance for an evening meal scheduled for 26 February at Pilkahana, two days before the visit, which further added to the confusion.
According to witness reports, the mutiny started at around 09:30 on the morning of 25 February 2009, as DG Ahmed was addressing BDR personnel in Darbar Hall. On this, survivors agree, but from there on, versions vary. Weapons are not allowed in the Darbar ceremony, but on the morning of the mutiny, many BDR soldiers managed to enter the building heavily armed. After shots were fired in the Darbar Hall, a group of mutineers entered from outside, it is evident from all versions that the mutineers comprised private and non-commissioned officers who deliberately targeted their commanding officers. In the ensuing panic and confusion, many soldiers inside Darbar Hall fled the scene. Not all BDR soldiers took part in the carnage.
Of the 57 army officers, 52 were killed either inside Darbar Hall or its surrounding area, while five others were killed elsewhere inside Pilkhana. On the evening of 26 February, several mutineers who remained inside Pilkhana hoisted a white flag and surrendered. The crisis ended at 19:00 when the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner entered the barracks.
Indian Intelligence Agency RAW involvement, Sheikh Hasina’s silence
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated on 15 August 1975, and Hasina had her grievances against the Bangladesh army.
Hasina was also the defence minister then. Still, Hasina was resultant in involving and quelling BDR troops, as driven by RAW’s direct request to Hasina not to be involved in the mutiny.
Initially, the Director General of the BDR phoned the prime minister, the heads of the army, the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI, military intelligence) and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), seeking immediate intervention. A RAB battalion reached the gates of Pilkhana about 45 minutes after the mutiny started, but Hasina did not authorize the troops to enter. In consultation with the government, the army sent tanks and personnel to take positions and create a blockade, but no response from the army. Why did Sheikh Hasina ask forces not to enter the BDR headquarters, and why did Hasina wait so long and let the BDR kill officers? Questions remained unanswered until the protesting students toppled Sheikh Hasina.
Post-mutiny, many army officers speculated that PM Hasina refused to attend on 26 February because she had some idea that a mutiny would occur. However, whether the cancellation was due to any prior intelligence warning of a specific imminent threat is unclear.
Who warned and why Hasina departed the Darbar hall earlier than refusing to attend on 26 February aligned with the report that Foreign involvement was suspected in the mutiny, particularly by the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and the Indian government.
The main objective of the mutiny was to weaken the Bangladesh army and destroy Bangladesh’s internal security and stability, which was highly beneficial to the Indian security apparatus.
BDR show trial
While the mutiny received only a short burst of international attention, it was an enormous event in Bangladesh and severely affected the relationship between the army and the new Awami League government. But little attention has been paid in Bangladesh or abroad to the fate of those arrested for participation in the mutiny.
With pressure from opposition parties, on 2 March 2009, the government formally filed charges of mutiny, killings, arson and looting of armouries against more than a thousand BDR soldiers. In the beginning, 236 BDR soldiers were arrested. Six were named, including the suspected ringleader, Deputy Assistant Director Towhidul Islam.
Thousands of detainees still remain in custody at the time of writing. All are facing mass trials that will likely not meet international fair trial standards. Some face the death penalty if convicted.
After nearly 26 months, Bangladesh’s largest-ever criminal trial ended. On 5 November 2013, a trial court delivered its verdict for 846 accused who were prosecuted for killing 74 people. One hundred fifty-one former BDR soldiers (of which 12 were on the run) and one civilian, Zakir Hossain, were handed the death penalty for their role in the mutiny.
Victim’s family deserve the truth
At a press conference held on Saturday at Skyline Restaurant in Dhaka’s Mohakhali area, the families of those killed presented a series of demands, calling for the publication of investigation reports and the formation of an Inquiry Commission to unearth the truth behind the brutal killings.
During the press conference, the victim families outlined seven demands directed at the interim government:
1. Reports of all previous investigations conducted to uncover the truth must be made public.
2. According to the High Court Division’s verdict, an inquiry commission with three judges must be formed immediately to reveal the conspirators behind the scenes.
3. February 25 must be officially declared as “Martyred Soldiers Day” through an official gazette, and all the deceased must be accorded the honour of martyrs.
4. On February 25, a day of mourning, the national flag must be flown at half-mast throughout the country.
5. The Pilkhana tragedy must be included in the school syllabus.
6. Army officers who were dismissed from service in connection with this incident must be reinstated or adequately compensated.
7. No innocent BDR (Now BGB) soldier should be punished in any way.
India and Myanmar benefited from weakening Bangladesh’s military
The tragic events of 25-26 February 2009 sent shockwaves throughout Bangladesh and highlighted the state of affairs in the country’s armed forces.
The carnage aimed to destroy the strength and cohesion of the BDR and weaken Bangladesh’s defence capabilities. Apart from diminishing the morale of the Bangladesh security forces, it was a significant setback for the BDR as its command structure was destroyed.
Replacing 57 highly trained officers, including many senior officers, was not easy. The army’s position was also weakened, making it unlikely to intervene in civilian politics when it attempted to introduce political reforms.
Furthermore, the image of the Bangladesh Army was significantly stained. The Bangladesh government’s critical early decision was to disband the BDR and constitute the BGB, even though the latter included many soldiers from the BDR.
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