Committee within 5 working days to probe BDR carnage: Home adviser

A committee will be formed within the next five working days to properly investigate the killings at BDR (now BGB) headquarters in the capital’s Pilkhana area, said home adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Tuesday.

Retired justice, representatives of civil society, armed forces department and retired officials of the police department will be included in the committee, he added.

However, the authorities have not yet decided about the number of members of the committee. The number of members could be five, seven or nine. Most of the members would be from the armed forces division.

Home adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury was talking to the media at the secretariat in the morning.

The killings at BDR headquarters in Pilkhana took place on 25-26 February 2009.

The home adviser told the media that many people do not want to join such committees. Names will be sought from all the stakeholders. It will take some time to collect the names. Finally, the names of the committee members will be fixed after a discussion.

There is no difference between a committee and a commission, he stated. There is no misunderstanding between the home ministry and the law ministry, he added.

Various sections of the society including the Students Against Discrimination have been demanding for the last few days forming an independent commission to investigate the BDR mutiny.

The leaders of Students Against Discrimination also alleged that the interim government was procrastinating in forming the commission.

Mahin Sarkar, an executive committee member of the Students Against Discrimination announced to lay siege to the law ministry on Tuesday to press home their demand of forming an independent commission to investigate the BDR carnage and ensure fair trial.

Students Against Discrimination coordinator Hasnat Abdullah announced his support to Mahin's programme.

In this context, the government hastily announced the constitution of a committee within five working days.

The home adviser said that the interim government is determined to reinvestigate and ensure justice for the BDR mutiny.

Jahangir Alam Chowdhury reiterated that he himself was vocal to ensure justice in the killings took place at the BDR headquarters since taking charge as home adviser. He has been demanding justice as a general citizen and as a member of the army for a long time.

He told the media that this will be a separate committee while reinvestigation is a matter of the court.

Earlier, on Sunday, the home ministry said the hearing in the death reference case regarding the killings at the then BDR headquarters in Pilkhana is ongoing.

Besides, another related case remains pending in a makeshift court at the Prisons Department parade ground in Bakshibazar area of Dhaka.

As a result, forming a national independent committee is currently not feasible due to a conflict with ongoing court proceedings.