Pilkhana carnage: Home minister rules out new probe commission, vows justice

Describing the 2009 Pilkhana killings as a deliberate attempt to weaken the Bangladesh Army and destabilise the country, home minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Wednesday assured the nation that justice would be ensured for one of the most heinous incidents in the world.

“I am assuring the nation and the martyrs’ families of ensuring justice,” he said.

The home minister made the remarks after laying wreaths at the Banani Military Graveyard in the capital on the occasion of National Martyred Army Day, marking the anniversary of the 2009 Pilkhana carnage.

He said the government is committed to taking all necessary steps to prevent the recurrence of such a tragic incident in the future.

Responding to a question from journalists about the government’s position regarding a fresh investigation into the 2009 BDR carnage, the home minister clarified that no new commission would be formed.

Instead, he said, the government would implement the recommendations of the national independent commission that had been set up by the immediate past interim government to re-investigate the incident.

“I made a remark earlier that we would form a commission to reinvestigate the BDR carnage without going through the report of the national independent commission formed during the interim government. Now I am correcting myself - we will not form any new commission. Rather, we will implement the recommendations of the commission in phases,” he said.

He added that the interim government had constituted the commission with competent and experienced individuals, and its findings would be given due importance.

Salahuddin, also a standing committee member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), stated that the commission had put forward 70 recommendations.

“We will implement all the recommendations in phases,” he said.

Referring to the Pilkhana carnage cases, he noted that several appeals are currently pending before the Appellate Division. “The judicial process will be completed,” he affirmed.

Describing the Pilkhana killings as one of the most heinous incidents in global history, Salahuddin said the perpetrators were driven by forces that do not believe in Bangladesh’s independence and sovereignty.

“They aimed to undermine the Bangladesh Army and weaken the country. Those who do not believe in Bangladesh’s independence and sovereignty could have harbored such intentions,” he added.

BDR carnage took place on 25-26 February in 2009 at the headquarters of the BDR paramilitary force in Pilkhana, Dhaka.

The mutineers in 33 hour upheaval killed 74 people, including BDR director general and his wife, 57 army officers, two of their wives and 15 others.