Mutiny at BDR HQ
Thursday, 26 February 2009
After a bloody mutiny, the BDR rebels refused Wednesday night to surrender arms until the army was fully withdrawn from the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) Headquarters (HQ) at Peelkhana in the capital city as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina earlier on the day declared general amnesty for the 'rebel' BDR personnel and urged them to drop their arms, report agencies.
They, however, agreed to talk to the prime minister in a video conference.
State minister for local government Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Mirza Azam MP were told of the BDR's latest position when they had gone to the Jigatola access to the headquarters at 8:25pm.
Negotiations were continuing again as the BDR rebels came out sit for talks with the home minister at a nearby hotel from around 9.45pm.
The Prime Minister also promised to meet the demands of the BDR 'rebels' in phases, a state minister said.
Azam and the police officials present at the BDR gate urged the paramilitary personnel to let go of the women and children. The BDR men said they could not do that and would act on the situation.
According to a TV report, at least 15 persons including senior officers and civilians were dead in the armed rebellion.
Col Mujibul Huq, who commanded the Dhaka Sector and headed the emergency government's Operation Daal-Bhat, was killed at the early stage of the mutiny.
The body of Lt Col Enayet, commander of 36 Battalion, was found alongside Huq's. Both were dumped in a drain behind the BDR compound, Kamrangirchar police SI Ataur Rahman confirmed.
The head of the border guards -- Major General Shakil Ahmed -- was widely believed throughout the day to be among the dead.
At least three civilians were dead and over 25 were wounded as heavy gunfire erupted in and around the BDR Headquarters in the morning.
BDR personnel fired shots from the compound at civilians on at least two occasions in the morning, witnesses and correspondents said.
A bullet-hit rickshaw puller brought to Dhaka Medical College Hospital died on arrival there. He was identified as Amjad Ali (52) who received a bullet in the head.
Khondoker Md Tariq Aziz (20) was shot near Zigatola and died at the DMCH.
Fourteen-year-old Mohammad Hridoy, a street vendor, was the third civilian confirmed dead.
SI Ataur said the bodies of both colonels were sent to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH).
Reports of casualties also came from within the BDR complex. School teacher Rajab Ali told the news agency that his brother Md Abul Kashem, a deputy assistant director of BDR, was killed by a rifle fire inside the BDR complex.
"My brother's wife told me his body was lying where he fell in front of Darbar Hall," said Ali.
"She said more civilian bodies could be seen lying inside the battle-wrecked BDR complex," he said.
The BDR 'mutineers' in a three-hour-long meeting with the prime minister earlier at her official residence agreed to surrender their arms, State Minister for Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) Jahangir Kabir Nanak told reporters.
At least 14 BDR personnel in uniform, accompanied by government negotiators, entered the state guesthouse, Jamuna, at around 3:40pm in the day when gunshots continued inside the BDR headquarters.
LGRD State Minister for Jahangir Kabir Nanak told reporters after the meeting at 'Jamuna' that on behalf of the rebel soldiers BDR, deputy assistant director Touhid assured the Prime Minister that they would "lay down arms" and return to barracks.
Gunfire broke out in the BDR HQ in Peelkhana in the city around 9:30am on the day.
The 'rebel' BDR personnel began firing during the time of the director general at the annual 'Darbar' (get-together) at the BDR HQ.
Troops from Dhaka cantonment moved towards the BDR Headquarters to bring the situation under control. The mutiny occurred at a time when the personnel of the para-military, border-security force were celebrating BDR Week that was inaugurated by the Prime Minster last Tuesday.
Private television Diganta, shooting live from rooftop, showed rebel soldiers, with their faces being covered with red scarps, firing indiscriminately. Several wounded soldiers were either seen lying on the ground or being ferried by ambulances to hospitals.
Army helicopters hovered over the BDR headquarters.
Police said the trouble began when BDR soldiers put forward their demands to the officers, mostly drawn from the army.
Residents close to the BDR HQ heard big sounds of bullets and mortar shells.
Army troops massed on the streets surrounding the BDR compound from about 10.30am in the day.
A patrolling army helicopter shot into the compound at one point, bdnews24.com said.
Soldiers took up positions with arms, on the streets but made no move to take over the compound.
Army officers urged the BDR personnel through loudspeakers to calm down and surrender their arms.
The BDR personnel were seen carrying heavy arms and taking position at the main entrance to the BDR HQ on Dhanmondi Road 2 in the morning during the BDR DG's address at the annual Darbar.
bdnews24.com's Rohan Ziad reported that the BDR personnel fired shots, out of the compound, at civilians on at least two occasions -- the first time at around 10:30am and for a second time at around 11:15am.
Traffic movement remained suspended on the roads around the BDR HQ after troops took their position.
Following this incident, the BDR personnel sent out a letter to the media, claiming their personnel "have been long-oppressed by the officers of the armed forces".
The prime minister also met with the chiefs of army, navy and air force shortly after 2:00pm over the mutiny of the BDR personnel.
When the troubles were on at the BDR HQ, Home Minister Sahara Khatun has assured the BDR personnel that the government would try to meet their demands.
"I assure you, we will hear all your demands and try to meet them," she said in a statement broadcast live from the prime minister's Hare Road residence.
"You are the members of a proud force. We hope you will uphold goodwill."
"You are like our children. The country and the government belong to you," she said in the statement.
She said misunderstanding erupted and the government has come to know about those.
The members of the cabinet and the chiefs of the army, navy and air force were meeting with the Prime Minister at her residence Wednesday afternoon, amid an armed rebellion by the Bangladesh border guards.
At one stage of the developments at the BDR HQ on the day, the rebel BDR personnel said they would like to speak to the prime minister and her cabinet members to end the "rebellion".
She will also have to declare general amnesty for the rebels and meet their demands, they added.
"Otherwise, we will not stop the 'war'," a member told a private TV station.
Claiming to be a representative of one "Nayek Shahid", a man speaking behind a window wearing helmet, his face being covered, said, "The gate no. 3 is open to the prime minister and members of the cabinet."
A BDR rebel announced at around 3:00 pm through BanglaVision that they would talk to the government delegates if they went up to the third gate of the BDR HQ.
The son of the BDR's Dhaka sector commander Mujibul Huq sent a 'Help' SMS from the gunbattle-wrecked BDR headquarters.
"Our house" has been set on fire and the members of the BDR are positioned outside, the family of the sector commander told the news agency bdnews24.com.
Anxious parents and guardians thronged the emergency department of the DMCH to inquire about their near ones who had gone out in the morning but did not come back until the time of their inquiry.
Ruhul Amin, a private bank employee, said since his son did not come back from his private tuition, he had come to the hospital to look for him.
A member of the BDR phoned private TV station BanglaVision from inside the besieged headquarters early afternoon of the day to ventilate his grievances.
He said that the needs and aspirations of the paramilitary border guards had always been stopped by their commanding officers from the armed forces and were never conveyed to the highest authorities.
The BDR personnel "are now expressing their grievances to the new democratic government", he said.
They have realised that their fate was not going to change, the BDR man added.
He trashed all allegations about killing or misbehaving with any of their commanders from the army.
The message of the 'rebel' BDR soldiers was slipped out of their besieged headquarters, urging the people and the journalists to stand beside them and extend cooperation.
The message written on a piece of paper was thrown out to journalists at BDR Gate no. 4 from inside the headquarters.
"We've taken up arms today because we've been repressed by army officers for long," the mutineers' message read.
"Our rights were snatched away and our back was pushed to the wall. Stand beside us," says the message of the rebels who were holed up inside the HQ, being cordoned off by the army and RAB troops.
Seven people who were injured by stray bullets in Jigatala area during the gunfight at BDR Headquarters, were admitted to the DMCH and Bangladesh Medical College Hospital.
Of the injured, Monir Hossain, 18, an embroidery shop-worker, and Akhter, 16, a tea shop-worker, were admitted to DMCH.
Five other injured -- Rubel, 12, Shakil, 23, Sajjad, 35, and Ifad, a BBA student of United International University, and Sumon -- were admitted to Bangladesh Medical College Hospital.
Bullets hit all seven when they were moving in Jigatala area, adjacent to the BDR Headquarters.
City-dwellers were seen rushing home after the news of the rebellion of the BDR-personnel spread in the city. Markets, shopping-malls and business establishments were closed in the capital, fearing deterioration of the situation.
The city almost looked vacant as commuters and vehicular movements were seen gradually thinning from 11am to 3:00pm.
The shopping-malls, other businesses and educational institutions, adjacent to the besieged BDR headquarters and Mirpur Road and Dhanmondi areas, were closed as soon as the news of the "rebillion" spread all around.
They, however, agreed to talk to the prime minister in a video conference.
State minister for local government Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Mirza Azam MP were told of the BDR's latest position when they had gone to the Jigatola access to the headquarters at 8:25pm.
Negotiations were continuing again as the BDR rebels came out sit for talks with the home minister at a nearby hotel from around 9.45pm.
The Prime Minister also promised to meet the demands of the BDR 'rebels' in phases, a state minister said.
Azam and the police officials present at the BDR gate urged the paramilitary personnel to let go of the women and children. The BDR men said they could not do that and would act on the situation.
According to a TV report, at least 15 persons including senior officers and civilians were dead in the armed rebellion.
Col Mujibul Huq, who commanded the Dhaka Sector and headed the emergency government's Operation Daal-Bhat, was killed at the early stage of the mutiny.
The body of Lt Col Enayet, commander of 36 Battalion, was found alongside Huq's. Both were dumped in a drain behind the BDR compound, Kamrangirchar police SI Ataur Rahman confirmed.
The head of the border guards -- Major General Shakil Ahmed -- was widely believed throughout the day to be among the dead.
At least three civilians were dead and over 25 were wounded as heavy gunfire erupted in and around the BDR Headquarters in the morning.
BDR personnel fired shots from the compound at civilians on at least two occasions in the morning, witnesses and correspondents said.
A bullet-hit rickshaw puller brought to Dhaka Medical College Hospital died on arrival there. He was identified as Amjad Ali (52) who received a bullet in the head.
Khondoker Md Tariq Aziz (20) was shot near Zigatola and died at the DMCH.
Fourteen-year-old Mohammad Hridoy, a street vendor, was the third civilian confirmed dead.
SI Ataur said the bodies of both colonels were sent to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH).
Reports of casualties also came from within the BDR complex. School teacher Rajab Ali told the news agency that his brother Md Abul Kashem, a deputy assistant director of BDR, was killed by a rifle fire inside the BDR complex.
"My brother's wife told me his body was lying where he fell in front of Darbar Hall," said Ali.
"She said more civilian bodies could be seen lying inside the battle-wrecked BDR complex," he said.
The BDR 'mutineers' in a three-hour-long meeting with the prime minister earlier at her official residence agreed to surrender their arms, State Minister for Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) Jahangir Kabir Nanak told reporters.
At least 14 BDR personnel in uniform, accompanied by government negotiators, entered the state guesthouse, Jamuna, at around 3:40pm in the day when gunshots continued inside the BDR headquarters.
LGRD State Minister for Jahangir Kabir Nanak told reporters after the meeting at 'Jamuna' that on behalf of the rebel soldiers BDR, deputy assistant director Touhid assured the Prime Minister that they would "lay down arms" and return to barracks.
Gunfire broke out in the BDR HQ in Peelkhana in the city around 9:30am on the day.
The 'rebel' BDR personnel began firing during the time of the director general at the annual 'Darbar' (get-together) at the BDR HQ.
Troops from Dhaka cantonment moved towards the BDR Headquarters to bring the situation under control. The mutiny occurred at a time when the personnel of the para-military, border-security force were celebrating BDR Week that was inaugurated by the Prime Minster last Tuesday.
Private television Diganta, shooting live from rooftop, showed rebel soldiers, with their faces being covered with red scarps, firing indiscriminately. Several wounded soldiers were either seen lying on the ground or being ferried by ambulances to hospitals.
Army helicopters hovered over the BDR headquarters.
Police said the trouble began when BDR soldiers put forward their demands to the officers, mostly drawn from the army.
Residents close to the BDR HQ heard big sounds of bullets and mortar shells.
Army troops massed on the streets surrounding the BDR compound from about 10.30am in the day.
A patrolling army helicopter shot into the compound at one point, bdnews24.com said.
Soldiers took up positions with arms, on the streets but made no move to take over the compound.
Army officers urged the BDR personnel through loudspeakers to calm down and surrender their arms.
The BDR personnel were seen carrying heavy arms and taking position at the main entrance to the BDR HQ on Dhanmondi Road 2 in the morning during the BDR DG's address at the annual Darbar.
bdnews24.com's Rohan Ziad reported that the BDR personnel fired shots, out of the compound, at civilians on at least two occasions -- the first time at around 10:30am and for a second time at around 11:15am.
Traffic movement remained suspended on the roads around the BDR HQ after troops took their position.
Following this incident, the BDR personnel sent out a letter to the media, claiming their personnel "have been long-oppressed by the officers of the armed forces".
The prime minister also met with the chiefs of army, navy and air force shortly after 2:00pm over the mutiny of the BDR personnel.
When the troubles were on at the BDR HQ, Home Minister Sahara Khatun has assured the BDR personnel that the government would try to meet their demands.
"I assure you, we will hear all your demands and try to meet them," she said in a statement broadcast live from the prime minister's Hare Road residence.
"You are the members of a proud force. We hope you will uphold goodwill."
"You are like our children. The country and the government belong to you," she said in the statement.
She said misunderstanding erupted and the government has come to know about those.
The members of the cabinet and the chiefs of the army, navy and air force were meeting with the Prime Minister at her residence Wednesday afternoon, amid an armed rebellion by the Bangladesh border guards.
At one stage of the developments at the BDR HQ on the day, the rebel BDR personnel said they would like to speak to the prime minister and her cabinet members to end the "rebellion".
She will also have to declare general amnesty for the rebels and meet their demands, they added.
"Otherwise, we will not stop the 'war'," a member told a private TV station.
Claiming to be a representative of one "Nayek Shahid", a man speaking behind a window wearing helmet, his face being covered, said, "The gate no. 3 is open to the prime minister and members of the cabinet."
A BDR rebel announced at around 3:00 pm through BanglaVision that they would talk to the government delegates if they went up to the third gate of the BDR HQ.
The son of the BDR's Dhaka sector commander Mujibul Huq sent a 'Help' SMS from the gunbattle-wrecked BDR headquarters.
"Our house" has been set on fire and the members of the BDR are positioned outside, the family of the sector commander told the news agency bdnews24.com.
Anxious parents and guardians thronged the emergency department of the DMCH to inquire about their near ones who had gone out in the morning but did not come back until the time of their inquiry.
Ruhul Amin, a private bank employee, said since his son did not come back from his private tuition, he had come to the hospital to look for him.
A member of the BDR phoned private TV station BanglaVision from inside the besieged headquarters early afternoon of the day to ventilate his grievances.
He said that the needs and aspirations of the paramilitary border guards had always been stopped by their commanding officers from the armed forces and were never conveyed to the highest authorities.
The BDR personnel "are now expressing their grievances to the new democratic government", he said.
They have realised that their fate was not going to change, the BDR man added.
He trashed all allegations about killing or misbehaving with any of their commanders from the army.
The message of the 'rebel' BDR soldiers was slipped out of their besieged headquarters, urging the people and the journalists to stand beside them and extend cooperation.
The message written on a piece of paper was thrown out to journalists at BDR Gate no. 4 from inside the headquarters.
"We've taken up arms today because we've been repressed by army officers for long," the mutineers' message read.
"Our rights were snatched away and our back was pushed to the wall. Stand beside us," says the message of the rebels who were holed up inside the HQ, being cordoned off by the army and RAB troops.
Seven people who were injured by stray bullets in Jigatala area during the gunfight at BDR Headquarters, were admitted to the DMCH and Bangladesh Medical College Hospital.
Of the injured, Monir Hossain, 18, an embroidery shop-worker, and Akhter, 16, a tea shop-worker, were admitted to DMCH.
Five other injured -- Rubel, 12, Shakil, 23, Sajjad, 35, and Ifad, a BBA student of United International University, and Sumon -- were admitted to Bangladesh Medical College Hospital.
Bullets hit all seven when they were moving in Jigatala area, adjacent to the BDR Headquarters.
City-dwellers were seen rushing home after the news of the rebellion of the BDR-personnel spread in the city. Markets, shopping-malls and business establishments were closed in the capital, fearing deterioration of the situation.
The city almost looked vacant as commuters and vehicular movements were seen gradually thinning from 11am to 3:00pm.
The shopping-malls, other businesses and educational institutions, adjacent to the besieged BDR headquarters and Mirpur Road and Dhanmondi areas, were closed as soon as the news of the "rebillion" spread all around.