Dhaka, Wednesday, March 4, 2009 - 8:09am Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) yesterday in a news conference claimed that it arrested five BDR mutineers, including two of the suspected leaders, and exhibited them to the media.
At a media briefing in the Rab headquarters last evening, Col Reza-nur Rahman, additional director general of Rab, said they arrested Deputy Assistant Director (DAD) of BDR Syed Towhidul Alam and four others in the afternoon from a house in Hazaribagh of the capital.
But, Rab's claim gave rise to a confusion, as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday informed the parliament that Towhid had already been arrested.
Meanwhile, police kept 18 other BDR personnel confined in Holy Family Red Crescent Hospital.
Neither police nor Rab however were willing to declare them as arrestees.
Hailing from Raipura village under Nolchhiti upazila of Jhalokathi district, DAD Towhid led the 14-member mutineers' negotiating team to the Prime Minister's residence Jamuna.
According to Rab, the four other arrestees are DAD Mohammad Abdur Rahim of Nabinagar upazila in Brhmman Baria, Habilder Azad Ali of Domar upazila in Nilphamari district, Nayek Mohammad Firoj Ahmed of Barisal, and Jawan Mohammad Zakir Hossain of Nandail upazila in Mymensingh.
During the briefing, Nayek Firoj shouted out, "Sir, I was not arrested, I surrendered," prompting Rab officials to declare the briefing over, right away.
Of the five arrested BDR personnel, the names of DADs Towhid and Rahim are mentioned as principal accused in the case filed by Lalbagh Police Station Officer-in-charge Nobojyoti Khisa in connection with the mutiny.
The case accuses over 1,000 BDR soldiers, specially mentioning the names of five junior commissioned (JCO) officers and a sepoy, including the names of Towhid and Abdur Rahim.
The three other named JCOs are DADs Abdul Jalil, Nasiruddin Khan, and Mirza Habibur Rahman, while the specially mentioned accused sepoy is Jawan Selim.
At the end of yesterday's media briefing, Commander SMAK Azad, director of the legal and media wing of Rab, said the arrested five will be handed over to Lalbagh police, and later they will be forwarded to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
CID is the main investigator of the case, and Rab, Bangladesh Army and other government agencies are assisting it, Commander Azad said.
Meanwhile, no one is being allowed to see the 18 BDR personnel including suspected leader DAD Abdul Jalil, confined in Holy Family Hospital in total isolation in one room.
Talking to The Daily Star on February 25, Jalil said he was one of the members of the 14-member mutineers' negotiation team.
Jalil was taken to Holly Family Hospital on February 25 night by rescuers of the Red Crescent Society.
He said he had no bullet wound, but was severely sick.
Abdul Kahar Akond, senior assistant superintended of police (ASP) of CID, who is leading the police investigation, told The Daily Star, "We are still collecting evidence from the crime scene."
Asked about the arrest of the 18 BDR personnel in the hospital, he declined to make any comment.
Replying to another question, ASP Akond said all three probe committees are exchanging information.
Meanwhile, Rab-4 recovered seventy rounds of live bullets from Gonoktuli Sweepers' Colony in Hazaribagh yesterday.
Till filing of this report late last night 47 assault rifles, 46 sub-machine guns, 11 light machine guns, 198 grenades, and over 50 thousand bullets were recovered from the BDR Pilkhana compound.
Comments
Why Hasina did not allowed RAB and Armies to Dorbar Hall?
Three days ago Hasina clearly said to the people of Bangladesh that DAD Tauheed has been captured and arrested. But RAB has arrested him just yesterday. So, what are we hearing here? Aren't we smelling a conspiracy here? A clear conspiracy here and desh premik armies should find out what exactly going on. Why Hasina did not allow RAB and Armies to get in to the Dorbar Hall to finish some number of rebel BDR Jawans. And because of this many talented army officers got killed. Without any time or precaution why Hasina declared a pardon that gave BDR Jawans time to kill more officers and bury them in a mass grave. There are so many factors Army must investigate by asking home minister, Nanok, Azam, Tauheed and Hasina as well. No doubt to think and say that this killing is a well planed and a deep rooted conspiracy against our pride Armies and country. Army also should find out what was the topic between Hasina and Moeen meeting that took about 2 hours while army officers are killed and their families are tortured, raped and looted.
BEPAR TA KI TA BER HOTAY ONAK DIN LAGBE TO JAMAT MONE HOY JORITO
BDR bidroho namay ja rotese amar mone hoy ata bidroho na.juddho oporadhi der dhorar je porkkria suru hoyasilo ta thake desh ar mor onnodik guriya nibar jonno ay poristiti ghotano hoyase.
প্রধানমন্ত্রীর কড়া নির্দেশ
প্রধানমন্ত্রীর কড়া নির্দেশ বিডিয়ার ছাড়া আর কাউকে গ্রেফতার করা যাবে না। অন্য কথায় মুল কিলিং এর সাথে যুক্ত না থাকা বলির পাঠাগুলোকে শুধু গ্রেফতার করা যাবে।
salimC, BDRs are trained people, not idiot like you, no bla, bla
Many of the BDRs do not have higher education; but they are trained, they are not idiot salimC. They do things quickly, they know how to hide, run away, save; these are parts of their training, part of their lives.
You will not understand many things, you are salimC; doing bla, bla is your job. BDRs do things different way. When Khaleda and Jamat paid them to kill, they did it quickly.
Sahara, Nanok, Azam are idiots like you.
nirvik, your elder brother chatra-sanga Towhid abnormal like you
shibir cadre nirvik, Jamat, chatra-sanga (current shibir), shibir people have low wit and they are born killers. They always betrayed the nation, pulling the nation backwards.
Stay away from us, Pakistan is a good place for you.
রাজনৈতিক সমাধানের বিপল্প ছিল না
রাজনৈতিক সমাধানের বিপল্প ছিল না। সামরিক একশনে গেলে সারা দেশে বিডিআর ক্যাম্পে বিদ্রোহের আগুন জ্বলে উঠতো, আর হাজার হাজার মানুষ মারা যেতো। আর যারা মানুষের রক্ত খেতে পছন্দ করে, তারাই বলছে রাজনৈতিক সমাধান সঠিক হয়নি।
গণকবর খোড়ার মত এত সময়ও তারা পেয়েছিল কীভাবে?
গণকবর খোড়ার মত এত সময়ও তারা পেয়েছিল কীভাবে?
বি টি ভি দেখে আমার মনে যে প্রশ্ন জেগেছে তা হল,দেখলাম স্বরাষ্ট্র মন্ত্রী বিদ্রোহীদের কাছ থেকে অস্ত্র জমা নিচ্ছেন।গুটি কয়েক অস্ত্র জমা পড়লো। মনে হয় 8/10টা।সেগুলো আবার বিডিআর পোষাক পরা একজনকে তুলতেও দেখলাম। তারপর বলা হল সব অস্ত্র জমা পড়েছে।অথচ তখনো বিদ্রোহ থামেনি, অস্ত্রও জমা পড়েনি।স্বরাষ্ট্র মন্ত্রীতো সচক্ষে দেখতেই পেলেন অস্ত্র জমা পড়েনি,তাহলে তিনি ত্বরিত পদক্ষেপ নিলেননা কেন? কয়েকজনকে যে অস্ত্র জমা দিতে দেখলাম, ওরা আসলেই কি বিডিআর?গণকবর খোড়ার মত এত সময়ও তারা পেয়েছিল কীভাবে?কেউ কি পালিয়ে এসে প্রকৃত অবস্থা জানাতে পারেনি?এতগুলো মানুষ নির্বিঘ্নে পালালো কীভাবে?সাধারণ ক্ষমা ঘোষণা দেয়া হল সাথে আত্মসমার্পণের সময় বেধে দেয়া হলনা কেন?হতভাগ্য জিম্মি সেনারা প্রতি মুহুর্ত ভেবেছে তাদের জন্য সাহায্য আসছে!আহা বুকে গুলি নিয়েও তারা কাতরিয়েছে সাহায্যের আশায়।তাঁদের লাশ পচেঁ দুর্গন্ধ না হওয়া পর্যন্ত কোন সাহায্য আসেনি!এখন বিচার হবে হত্যাকারীদের।একেকজনের হাজার বছরের ফাঁসি দেয়া হলেও তাঁদের কী এসে যায়!