Hasina accuses Khaleda of provocations over BDR mutiny

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Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Tuesday night accused opposition leader Khaleda Zia of making "provocative" remarks about the BDR mutiny and questioned whether she cooked up any new plot to destabilise the elected government and push the country towards confrontation, reports UNB.
Responding to a volley of queries made by Khaleda in parliament earlier, Hasina said such cruel carnage was possible by only those, who patronised war criminals and killers of Bangabandhu and those involved in the conspiracy.
The Prime Minister questioned why Khaleda Zia went into hiding by acar with black stained glass at about 10am immediately after the rebellion broke out at Pilkhana at about 9:35am.
In response to Khaleda's query, Hasina said she made the phone call to BDR DG Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed to know about the situation and instantly she called out army on February 25. As the army chief told her it would take two hours to deploy the army, she called air force helicopter and RAB to tackle the situation.
The Prime Minister said she took each and every step in consultation with the three chiefs and her cabinet and party leaders at her official residence to end the rebellion peacefully without causing further bloodshed.
Hasina said the three chiefs and intelligent agents talked to the rebel BDR delegation only with an aim to have the rebels' arms surrendered and end the crisis. She adopted a two-pronged strategy --keeping army alert for operation on one hand and negotiations with the rebels on the other.
The Prime Minister said if the army was ordered for crackdown, it could lead to a war between the two forces causing bloodbath and spreading the rebellion outside the BDR headquarters.
She said those officers and their relations, who survived the carnage admitted to her that their lives were saved because of her strategy. Hasina said if the army was ordered for crackdown and engaged in blood-shedding, the prospect of their jobs in the UN peacekeeping missions would be at risk.
Hasina disagreed with Khaleda that initially BDR rebels had no heavy weapons in their hands and immediate crackdown could saved more army officers' lives. She said BDR rebels were equipped with machineguns, submachine guns, mortars, antiaircraft canons and grenades. She said one army man was killed at the BDR gate by rebels' bullets and air force helicopters left after shooting. Hasina questioned how the opposition leader could know that all officers were killed when she herself, the cabinet and the three chiefs could not know about it. The killing episode started unfolding with the recovery of bodies flushed through storm-sewerage line.
Hasina said when world leaders praised the peaceful end of the mutiny, why the opposition leader raised these questions. She also wanted to know why Khaleda Zia raised these questions when the investigation was not completed. "Such queries are aimed at influencing the investigation. As a former Prime Minister, she should make responsible questions. In which direction does she want to push the investigation by raising these questions?" the PM told the parliament.