BDR chief backs probe into deaths: report
Sunday, 26 April 2009
The head of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) has told the BBC that he was confident any probe into the spate of border guard deaths since the BDR mutiny in February, would be fair, reports bdnews24.com.
The deaths, reported by the national media, of at least 16 BDR men have been criticised by local and international rights groups.
BDR chief Maj Gen Moinul Islam said that four border guards had committed suicide, six died of heart attacks and six died of other diseases in recent weeks.
Over 1,000 BDR members have been officially detained and interrogated by investigators following the mutiny at the regiment's headquarters in Dhaka, which left at least 70 dead, mainly army officers who are deputed to lead the border force.
But last week, a border guard alleged in a remand hearing related to the mutiny case that he had been tortured for seven days in custody before he was even brought before a court.
A BDR statement released said Thursday that some soldiers "connected with the mutiny were committing suicide which was quite unexpected".
"Post mortems of those died have been conducted by a civilian hospital," Maj Gen Moinul told the BBC.
"And if there is any evidence of wrongdoing I am fully confident that police and other investigating authorities will be fully able to fairly investigate the matter," he added.
"We believe that perhaps they have failed to cope with the mental pressure associated with the guilt of committing the brutal attacks. Suicide is seen as a sin in religious terms and is also socially undesirable."
Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and local rights groups, in separate statements, have expressed concern over the number of deaths -- the most recent of which occurred last week -- and questioned the official causes of death.
Meanwhile, findings of a government inquiry into the mutiny are yet to be made public, after several delays over the past month.
Maj Gen Islam refused to comment directly on allegations in the press that the BDR had been infiltrated by Islamic hardliners, but he said steps had been taken to rid the force of "infiltrators".
He said that morale in his force was improving since February's low point and that measures had been introduced to improve BDR pay and conditions in addition to making it easier for BDR soldiers to get commissioned.
The deaths, reported by the national media, of at least 16 BDR men have been criticised by local and international rights groups.
BDR chief Maj Gen Moinul Islam said that four border guards had committed suicide, six died of heart attacks and six died of other diseases in recent weeks.
Over 1,000 BDR members have been officially detained and interrogated by investigators following the mutiny at the regiment's headquarters in Dhaka, which left at least 70 dead, mainly army officers who are deputed to lead the border force.
But last week, a border guard alleged in a remand hearing related to the mutiny case that he had been tortured for seven days in custody before he was even brought before a court.
A BDR statement released said Thursday that some soldiers "connected with the mutiny were committing suicide which was quite unexpected".
"Post mortems of those died have been conducted by a civilian hospital," Maj Gen Moinul told the BBC.
"And if there is any evidence of wrongdoing I am fully confident that police and other investigating authorities will be fully able to fairly investigate the matter," he added.
"We believe that perhaps they have failed to cope with the mental pressure associated with the guilt of committing the brutal attacks. Suicide is seen as a sin in religious terms and is also socially undesirable."
Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and local rights groups, in separate statements, have expressed concern over the number of deaths -- the most recent of which occurred last week -- and questioned the official causes of death.
Meanwhile, findings of a government inquiry into the mutiny are yet to be made public, after several delays over the past month.
Maj Gen Islam refused to comment directly on allegations in the press that the BDR had been infiltrated by Islamic hardliners, but he said steps had been taken to rid the force of "infiltrators".
He said that morale in his force was improving since February's low point and that measures had been introduced to improve BDR pay and conditions in addition to making it easier for BDR soldiers to get commissioned.