The arrested 31 civilians including ex-lawmaker of BNP Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu, his follower and female BNP ward commissioner Suraiya Begum and ward-level Awami League leader Torab Ali will be charge-sheeted in connection with the Peelkhana carnage case, investigators said.

All of them will be charge-sheeted in the Peelkhana carnage case for their alleged involvement in helping the border guards flee from the BDR headquarters during and after the carnage on February 25-26, in which a total of 75 people including 56 army officers were killed. Some of the investigators requesting anonymity said this yesterday.

The law enforcement agencies have so far arrested a total of 1,974 border guards and 31 civilians in connection with the Peelkhana carnage case filed with Lalbagh police station, ASP Abdul Kahar Akand said. The case was filed against over 1000 BDR men including deputy assistant director (DAD) Touhidul Alam. The case was later shifted to New Market police station and Senior ASP Abdul Kahar Akand was appointed investigation officer (IO). Of the arrested BDR personnel, over 1700 were taken on remand, and of them a total of 437 jawans made confessional statements before courts, admitting their involvement in the violent mayhem.

The CID men have recorded statements of a total of 6,250 people including 125 family members of the army officers, 430 common people, residing in the adjoining areas of the Peelkhana headquarters, 310 BDR staff, 25 firemen and 700 law enforcers including police, army and others, who worked inside the Peelkhana headquarters. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID), probing the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) carnage, has confirmed that the arrested 31 civilians helped the BDR mutineers flee from the Peelkhana headquarters.

They confirmed it after verifying confessional statements made by the BDR troops, examining evidence, statements made by the arrested border guards and cross-examining information extracted during the interrogation. Over 200 CID personnel from sub-inspectors to assistant superintendents of police (ASPs) are now engaged in investigating the Peelkhana carnage led by its investigation officer (IO) Senior ASP Abdul Kahar Akand. At least 25 ASPs were entrusted with the task of investigation into the case.

On March 1, a case was lodged against over 1000 members of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) naming six people, including deputy assistant director (DAD) Touhidul Alam, for their alleged involvement in the mass killing, looting, firing gunshots, exploding grenades, hiding bodies, illegal capture of the army officials, rioting, illegal gathering, causing huge loss to the property and committing other criminal activities, and setting fire to houses in the BDR headquarters at Peelkhana. Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Lalbagh police station Nabojyoti Khisha filed the case with Lalbagh police station. The case was lodged under Sections 120 (B)/121/121 (A)/147/149/332/333/353/342/ 343/323/324/325/326/307/302/436/427/380/382/201/114/109 and 34 of the Penal Code and Sections 3/4 of the Explosive Act. The case number is 65.

The five other BDR members, whose names were mentioned in the case, are DAD Md Nasiruddin Khan, DAD Mirza Habibur Rahman, DAD Jalil and BDR jawans Md Abdur Rahim and Selim. DAD Touhidul Alam met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her Jamuna residence for negotiation with a view to resolving the crisis peacefully through surrender of the firearms. He was then the acting commandant of the BDR, sources said. In the case statement, the plaintiff alleged that the accused in collaboration with each other killed and severely injured army officials, their relatives and other people, in accordance with their plan, with a view to fulfilling a 'single mission'.

-The Independent