Former Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed has opened up for the first time about the BDR mutiny that took place in less than two months after Awami League took office 15 years ago, at the headquarters of the border security force in Peelkhana of the capital.
In a video posted on his YouTube channel from the United States on Thursday (September 5), he talked about the roles of the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Awami League leaders Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Mirza Azam and Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh,
and the Army played during and after the rebellion in the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), which was later renamed Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).
Gen Moeen U Ahmed
A section of the BDR members staged the mutiny on 25 and 26 February 2009 that claimed the lives of the paramilitary force's director general, 56 other army officers and 17 civilians.
General Moeen said he could not disclose the facts about the mutiny during the Awami League government. "But I feel that people should know about the role played by the army and what happened," he said.
The former Army chief said that despite the military's preparations for an operation to counter the rebellion, the government opted for a political solution, sending representatives to negotiate with the rebels, who pressed for amnesty, a demand Ahmed strongly opposed.
He also accused the government of non-cooperation when he tried to launch an investigation into the rebellion.
"When I ordered an investigation into the BDR rebellion, I was told that when the government is investigating this matter, what is the need for military investigation? We did not get the help we needed from the government to conduct this investigation," General Moeen said.
He called for a fresh thorough investigation into the incident and publishing a detailed report on the mutiny. The General announced that a book written by him on BDR mutiny would be published soon.
General Moeen criticised media coverage for worsening the situation. "The live media coverage during the incident played a negative role in spreading the BDR rebellion," he said.
He said that he got information about the Peelkhana incident around 9:30 on February 25. "Realising the gravity of the incident, I ordered the 46 Infantry Brigade of the Army to prepare for the operation without anyone's orders to save time. They immediately began preparations for the operation, dubbed 'Operation Restore Order'," he said.
Moeen U Ahmed mentioned he contacted the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina on the phone at 9:54 am. "Meanwhile, she (Sheikh Hasina) got a lot of information about the BDR rebellion. When I told him about the operation, he wanted to know how long it would take to prepare the brigade. I said it usually takes six hours. But it can be made in two hours," he said.
The former Army chief said that around 11:45am on February 25, the Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division told him the government was trying to "solve the problem politically".
The General went on saying: "At 12 o'clock he called me and asked me to meet the former Prime Minister at Jamuna [State Guest House] urgently. Around 1 pm Awami League leader Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Whip Mirza Azam went to Pilkhana for discussion.
"After I went to Jamuna, the Air Force and Navy chiefs arrived there… After a long time, we were informed that AL leaders Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Whip Mirza Azam were coming to Jamuna with a group of rebels and they demanded amnesty."
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