Border guard mutiny in Bangladesh
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A.V.
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Calm returns to BDR HQ; over 130 army officers still missing
update update
DHAKA: Over 130 army officers taken hostage by Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) soldiers at its Headquarters here remained missing today as the bloody mutiny
by border guards ended leaving more than 100 dead, including its chief, officials said.
The death toll could not be officially confirmed but security sources said they feared the figure to be over 100 as some 130 army officers remained missing with overnight frantic search for bodies at the mutiny-ravaged BDR headquarters in Pilkhana area here.
The survivors confirmed the death of BDR chief Major General Shakil Ahmed at the very onset of the rebellion at a 'darbar' or meeting of soldiers with senior officers.
"Four soldiers jumped forward and killed instantly the DG sir (Ahmed) as he stepped out of the darbar hall as the mutiny started on Wednesday," Lieutenant Colonel Syed Quamruzzaman told reporters this morning.
Elite Armed Police Battalion and Dhaka Metropolitan Police units took control of the main Pilkhana headquarters of the paramilitary border guards after the mutineers surrendered their arms and returned to barracks.
The police carried out a frantic search along with fire service rescuers overnight recovering seven more bodies.
update update
DHAKA: Over 130 army officers taken hostage by Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) soldiers at its Headquarters here remained missing today as the bloody mutiny
by border guards ended leaving more than 100 dead, including its chief, officials said.
The death toll could not be officially confirmed but security sources said they feared the figure to be over 100 as some 130 army officers remained missing with overnight frantic search for bodies at the mutiny-ravaged BDR headquarters in Pilkhana area here.
The survivors confirmed the death of BDR chief Major General Shakil Ahmed at the very onset of the rebellion at a 'darbar' or meeting of soldiers with senior officers.
"Four soldiers jumped forward and killed instantly the DG sir (Ahmed) as he stepped out of the darbar hall as the mutiny started on Wednesday," Lieutenant Colonel Syed Quamruzzaman told reporters this morning.
Elite Armed Police Battalion and Dhaka Metropolitan Police units took control of the main Pilkhana headquarters of the paramilitary border guards after the mutineers surrendered their arms and returned to barracks.
The police carried out a frantic search along with fire service rescuers overnight recovering seven more bodies.
A.V.
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30 bodies found in mass grave at BDR HQ, Hasina orders probe
DHAKA: Security forces in Bangladesh on Friiday unearthed a mass grave of slain army officers in the Bangladesh Rifles headquarters here as over
300 fleeing renegade soldiers were nabbed in a nation-wide manhunt.
The mass grave of at least 30 army officers was uncovered by security forces as soldiers and sniffer dogs were scouring the massive Bangladesh Rifles headquarters compound for 130 officers still untraced, official sources said.
Describing as "most shocking" the mass killing of the army officers, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said a probe will be ordered into the mutiny, notwithstanding a general amnesty announced earlier.
"An investigation into the incident will be launched," Hasina told reporters after visiting the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) to inquire about officers who were injured during the mutiny.
"The people directly involved in the killings will not be pardoned and would not be covered under the general amnesty," she said.
Hasina said the "most shocking part" of the mutiny was the brutal killing of many officers, but added that "it appears that not all BDR soldiers were involved in the killings".
The Bangladesh PM added possibly "one particular group" among the renegade soldiers had carried out the massacre with a "heinous motive".
Hasina, however, said army was kept in readiness to contain the revolt as negotiations were underway to "cool down the rebels".
"Our prime concern was to rescue the captives and stranded family members of the officers together with disarming the rebels," she said.
Brig Naim Shahidullah, who is leading a combined team of Army and police searching the BDR headquarters, said the bodies of dozens of officers were thrown hurriedly into the mass grave.
Security forces have so far arrested at least 300 BDR personnel from the capital and its outskirts as they fled their barracks after donning civil cloths despite orders to stay back inside the headquarters, a Rapid Action Battalion official said.
"We have been given orders to arrest the mutineers... we are searching buses and trucks for any other rebel troops and check points have been erected at all intersection," RAB spokesman Commander Abul Kalam Azad said.
The manhunt for the mutineers began as the fate of more than 130 army officers taken hostage by border guards remains still unclear as army units joined police and security agencies in frantic search for them.
Some of the renegade soldiers, who were caught far from the BDR complex, had weapons and ammunitions with them.
Meanwhile a senior army officer who survived the carnage, said the soldiers apparently carried a grudge against the army and made officers their main targets in the bloody uprising.
"The guards came armed and apparently hell bent upon a showdown," the senior army officer told newsmen.
The officer, Colonel Syed M Quamruzzaman, who was present at the 'Darbar' at BDR headquarters, where the bloody mutiny began and had a miraculous escape, said "the guards appeared from nowhere and barged into the meeting hurling abuses at us."
"They told us that they were treated shabbily and wanted cheap rations, higher pay, better working conditions and UN postings," he said.
Giving an eyewitness account of the sordid happenings in the main hall, the colonel said the BDR personnel, some carrying even sub-machine guns said they wanted an end to what they called "army's rule over BDR".
"At gun point, they marched Director General Major General Shakil Ahmed and other senior officers in a single file outside the hall. Just outside, another batch of the soldiers came running in and opened indiscriminate firing, which felled the DG and other senior officers," the Colonel said.
"Bullets were sprayed on me and I was hit in the stomach. But I managed to crawl into a nearby bathroom to hide, but they found me and shot me again," Quamruzzaman said adding he somehow managed to survive.
"It was cold-blooded murder," the colonel and some other Army survivors recounted.
Most of these officers go on deputation to run the Bangladesh Rifles, which is the country's premier para-military force.
Though like Assam rifles in India, BDR comes under the Home Ministry but it is run totally by army officers, who man all top posts.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...DR-HQ-30-bodies-found/articleshow/4201327.cms
DHAKA: Security forces in Bangladesh on Friiday unearthed a mass grave of slain army officers in the Bangladesh Rifles headquarters here as over
300 fleeing renegade soldiers were nabbed in a nation-wide manhunt.
The mass grave of at least 30 army officers was uncovered by security forces as soldiers and sniffer dogs were scouring the massive Bangladesh Rifles headquarters compound for 130 officers still untraced, official sources said.
Describing as "most shocking" the mass killing of the army officers, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said a probe will be ordered into the mutiny, notwithstanding a general amnesty announced earlier.
"An investigation into the incident will be launched," Hasina told reporters after visiting the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) to inquire about officers who were injured during the mutiny.
"The people directly involved in the killings will not be pardoned and would not be covered under the general amnesty," she said.
Hasina said the "most shocking part" of the mutiny was the brutal killing of many officers, but added that "it appears that not all BDR soldiers were involved in the killings".
The Bangladesh PM added possibly "one particular group" among the renegade soldiers had carried out the massacre with a "heinous motive".
Hasina, however, said army was kept in readiness to contain the revolt as negotiations were underway to "cool down the rebels".
"Our prime concern was to rescue the captives and stranded family members of the officers together with disarming the rebels," she said.
Brig Naim Shahidullah, who is leading a combined team of Army and police searching the BDR headquarters, said the bodies of dozens of officers were thrown hurriedly into the mass grave.
Security forces have so far arrested at least 300 BDR personnel from the capital and its outskirts as they fled their barracks after donning civil cloths despite orders to stay back inside the headquarters, a Rapid Action Battalion official said.
"We have been given orders to arrest the mutineers... we are searching buses and trucks for any other rebel troops and check points have been erected at all intersection," RAB spokesman Commander Abul Kalam Azad said.
The manhunt for the mutineers began as the fate of more than 130 army officers taken hostage by border guards remains still unclear as army units joined police and security agencies in frantic search for them.
Some of the renegade soldiers, who were caught far from the BDR complex, had weapons and ammunitions with them.
Meanwhile a senior army officer who survived the carnage, said the soldiers apparently carried a grudge against the army and made officers their main targets in the bloody uprising.
"The guards came armed and apparently hell bent upon a showdown," the senior army officer told newsmen.
The officer, Colonel Syed M Quamruzzaman, who was present at the 'Darbar' at BDR headquarters, where the bloody mutiny began and had a miraculous escape, said "the guards appeared from nowhere and barged into the meeting hurling abuses at us."
"They told us that they were treated shabbily and wanted cheap rations, higher pay, better working conditions and UN postings," he said.
Giving an eyewitness account of the sordid happenings in the main hall, the colonel said the BDR personnel, some carrying even sub-machine guns said they wanted an end to what they called "army's rule over BDR".
"At gun point, they marched Director General Major General Shakil Ahmed and other senior officers in a single file outside the hall. Just outside, another batch of the soldiers came running in and opened indiscriminate firing, which felled the DG and other senior officers," the Colonel said.
"Bullets were sprayed on me and I was hit in the stomach. But I managed to crawl into a nearby bathroom to hide, but they found me and shot me again," Quamruzzaman said adding he somehow managed to survive.
"It was cold-blooded murder," the colonel and some other Army survivors recounted.
Most of these officers go on deputation to run the Bangladesh Rifles, which is the country's premier para-military force.
Though like Assam rifles in India, BDR comes under the Home Ministry but it is run totally by army officers, who man all top posts.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...DR-HQ-30-bodies-found/articleshow/4201327.cms
I get the feeling that those kind of Bangladeshis are only looking for the elusive recognition. They want themselves and their country to be noticed and frankly theirs happens to be a country that is in the news only in case of a disaster.
A most unremarkable country with no hope whatsoever.
It is useless for Bangladesh to try to spend money on the so called modernization. Against whom? India? Myanmar? They just want to massage their ego and want to get noticed.
All this while their countrymen flee their country to live in shanties in India and spreading filth here.
Many Bangladeshis (and Pakistanis) pride themselves on their "contribution" to the UN. These are the two biggest "contributors" to the UN!
The reason is obvious. Their army wants those postings to make money! They are not "contributing", they are there to get the extra money.
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Col Gulzar's body identified
Star Online Report
The body of Colonel Gulzar Uddin Ahmed was retrieved today from the headquarters of Bangladesh Rifles.
Lieutenant Colonel Shamsuzzaman Khan, commanding officer of Rapid Action Battalion-2, identified Gulzar's body.
Gulzar was the founding director of the intelligence wing of Rab.
He had led the operation to arrest militant kingpin Shaikh Abdur Rahman who was later convicted and hanged Sylhet.
In December, he was deputed to BDR as commander of Sylhet Sector from Rab.
The Daily Star - Details News
Star Online Report
The body of Colonel Gulzar Uddin Ahmed was retrieved today from the headquarters of Bangladesh Rifles.
Lieutenant Colonel Shamsuzzaman Khan, commanding officer of Rapid Action Battalion-2, identified Gulzar's body.
Gulzar was the founding director of the intelligence wing of Rab.
He had led the operation to arrest militant kingpin Shaikh Abdur Rahman who was later convicted and hanged Sylhet.
In December, he was deputed to BDR as commander of Sylhet Sector from Rab.
The Daily Star - Details News
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Mutiny planned, funded: Nanak
Star Online Report
State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Jahangir Kabir Nanak today said the killing of army officers during the BDR mutiny was an act of sabotage.
"It did not happen out of blue. It was a conspiracy. They were killed in a well-planned way," Nanak told reporters at 4:15pm at the VIP gate of BDR headquarters near Jhigatala.
The state minister said a vested group had long been working on the conspiracy and it distributed millions of taka among the BDR soldiers.
He also vowed that the conspirators must face exemplary punishment.
Parliament whip Mirza Azam accompanied Nanak.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=15290
Star Online Report
State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Jahangir Kabir Nanak today said the killing of army officers during the BDR mutiny was an act of sabotage.
"It did not happen out of blue. It was a conspiracy. They were killed in a well-planned way," Nanak told reporters at 4:15pm at the VIP gate of BDR headquarters near Jhigatala.
The state minister said a vested group had long been working on the conspiracy and it distributed millions of taka among the BDR soldiers.
He also vowed that the conspirators must face exemplary punishment.
Parliament whip Mirza Azam accompanied Nanak.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=15290
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Gen Shakil's body takes toll to 67
Dhaka, Feb 27 (bdnews24.com) – The body of slain BDR chief Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed was found in a ditch near the Dabar Hall inside the headquarters compound, taking the official toll for the dead to 67 in the two-day mutiny.
The head of Fire Service, Brig Gen Abu Nayeem Md Shahidullah, identified the general's body.
"The body was stripped of uniform, but I could still recognise since I knew him so well personally," the Fire chief told reporters late Friday afternoon.
The corpse was one of the 44 found since the operation to retrieve bodies of slain army officers began inside the compound Friday morning, Shahidullah said.
The Fire Service official said all 44 were army officers.
Another notable of the latest find was the body former additional director general of RAB and BDR Sylhet sector commander Col Gulzar Uddin Ahmed.
The wife of Gen Shakil, Nazneen Ahmed, also believed killed, was yet to be traced, the Fire chief said.
One found Friday morning
On Friday morning, police said they retrieved one body from near the BDR Gate No 1. The dead was identified as a BDR member, but the identity could not be established immediately.
Nine reported found late Thursday night
Nine bodies were recovered from the BDR compound half and hour past midnight Thursday.
The nine could not be identified immediately, assistant sub-inspector of Dhanmondi Police Station Saiful Islam told bdnews24.com.
Six of the bodies were sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and then to Mitford Hospital for inquest, the ASI said.
Retired lieutenant colonel Delwar Hossain and his wife Lovely Begum were apparently killed inside the DG's bungalow. The couple were their guests.
Their bodies were recovered after the rebels' surrender from the bungalow.
Six found early Thursday
Earlier, six bodies were recovered from Kamrangirchar near the Buriganga river early Thursday, police said.
Among these bodies was that of BDR DDG Brig Gen Abdul Bari.
"All six were found in BDR officer uniforms," Kamrangirchar officer-in-charge Mainuddin Khan told bdnews24.com.
The bodies, recovered between 6am and 8am, were laid out for inquest and identification at Nawabganj Park until around 10am before being taken to Mitford Hospital for autopsy, he said.
Brother-in-law Nero and ex-colleague Brig Gen (retd) Saber Ahmed identified the body of the BDR DDG.
Wife Nusrat Jahan and brother-in-law Zia identified the body Col Abu Musa Ayub Kaiser Ahmed.
Nephew Baktia Sumon identified Col Zahid Hossain.
Brother Mahbubul Haider identified the body of Captain Mazharul Haider, son-in-law of IGP Noor Mohammad.
Relative Dr Atiur Rahman identified the body Col Anisuzzaman, son of former cabinet secretary and former minister Mahbubuzzaman.
One of the bodies remained unidentified, said Kamrangirchar OC Khan.
"They were found this morning, in the same area as the two the day before," he said.
First two bodies
The bodies of two senior officers were the first to be recovered Wednesday.
They were apparently dumped in a drain behind the BDR compound and then floated up to Kamrangirchar, police said.
Col Mujibul Huq commanded the Dhaka Sector and headed the emergency government's Operation Daal-Bhat.
The body of Lt Col Enayet, commander of 36 Battalion, was found alongside Huq's.
Three bystanders
Three civilian bystanders also lost their lives.
http://www.bdnews24.com/details.php?cid=2&id=77418
Dhaka, Feb 27 (bdnews24.com) – The body of slain BDR chief Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed was found in a ditch near the Dabar Hall inside the headquarters compound, taking the official toll for the dead to 67 in the two-day mutiny.
The head of Fire Service, Brig Gen Abu Nayeem Md Shahidullah, identified the general's body.
"The body was stripped of uniform, but I could still recognise since I knew him so well personally," the Fire chief told reporters late Friday afternoon.
The corpse was one of the 44 found since the operation to retrieve bodies of slain army officers began inside the compound Friday morning, Shahidullah said.
The Fire Service official said all 44 were army officers.
Another notable of the latest find was the body former additional director general of RAB and BDR Sylhet sector commander Col Gulzar Uddin Ahmed.
The wife of Gen Shakil, Nazneen Ahmed, also believed killed, was yet to be traced, the Fire chief said.
One found Friday morning
On Friday morning, police said they retrieved one body from near the BDR Gate No 1. The dead was identified as a BDR member, but the identity could not be established immediately.
Nine reported found late Thursday night
Nine bodies were recovered from the BDR compound half and hour past midnight Thursday.
The nine could not be identified immediately, assistant sub-inspector of Dhanmondi Police Station Saiful Islam told bdnews24.com.
Six of the bodies were sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and then to Mitford Hospital for inquest, the ASI said.
Retired lieutenant colonel Delwar Hossain and his wife Lovely Begum were apparently killed inside the DG's bungalow. The couple were their guests.
Their bodies were recovered after the rebels' surrender from the bungalow.
Six found early Thursday
Earlier, six bodies were recovered from Kamrangirchar near the Buriganga river early Thursday, police said.
Among these bodies was that of BDR DDG Brig Gen Abdul Bari.
"All six were found in BDR officer uniforms," Kamrangirchar officer-in-charge Mainuddin Khan told bdnews24.com.
The bodies, recovered between 6am and 8am, were laid out for inquest and identification at Nawabganj Park until around 10am before being taken to Mitford Hospital for autopsy, he said.
Brother-in-law Nero and ex-colleague Brig Gen (retd) Saber Ahmed identified the body of the BDR DDG.
Wife Nusrat Jahan and brother-in-law Zia identified the body Col Abu Musa Ayub Kaiser Ahmed.
Nephew Baktia Sumon identified Col Zahid Hossain.
Brother Mahbubul Haider identified the body of Captain Mazharul Haider, son-in-law of IGP Noor Mohammad.
Relative Dr Atiur Rahman identified the body Col Anisuzzaman, son of former cabinet secretary and former minister Mahbubuzzaman.
One of the bodies remained unidentified, said Kamrangirchar OC Khan.
"They were found this morning, in the same area as the two the day before," he said.
First two bodies
The bodies of two senior officers were the first to be recovered Wednesday.
They were apparently dumped in a drain behind the BDR compound and then floated up to Kamrangirchar, police said.
Col Mujibul Huq commanded the Dhaka Sector and headed the emergency government's Operation Daal-Bhat.
The body of Lt Col Enayet, commander of 36 Battalion, was found alongside Huq's.
Three bystanders
Three civilian bystanders also lost their lives.
http://www.bdnews24.com/details.php?cid=2&id=77418
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Okay, This just shows how Disciplined these Border Guards are! These people have no sense of ethics or Mercy, or they wouldnt have gone on a rampage like this.
I knew BDR was nothing less than a terror outfit when they Murdered more than 20 BSF men years ago. The way the BSF mens bodies were mutilated made a deep impression in my Mind against BDR.
Now and Then they Blame BSF for shooting Bangladeshis! Its just tactics on the part of BDR so that they wont be overshadowed by the BD Army. BDR just wants to show that without them India will attack and conquer Bangladesh! What a load of ****!
Now there are news spread by some crackpots that BSF sent SMS messages to BDR mutineers telling that they will be supported by India! I see no Indian Hand in this, rather I see, another Hand, a certain "Green" Hand. It was done to discredit the Newly Elected Govt and spread support for the the Anti India Parties.
I knew BDR was nothing less than a terror outfit when they Murdered more than 20 BSF men years ago. The way the BSF mens bodies were mutilated made a deep impression in my Mind against BDR.
Now and Then they Blame BSF for shooting Bangladeshis! Its just tactics on the part of BDR so that they wont be overshadowed by the BD Army. BDR just wants to show that without them India will attack and conquer Bangladesh! What a load of ****!
Now there are news spread by some crackpots that BSF sent SMS messages to BDR mutineers telling that they will be supported by India! I see no Indian Hand in this, rather I see, another Hand, a certain "Green" Hand. It was done to discredit the Newly Elected Govt and spread support for the the Anti India Parties.
A.V.
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i am sure ahmed is right on this the recent election results were not viewed too kindly by some of the players in south asia, the growing proximity of india and bangladesh spelt danger for them and its open to the whole world to see that the bdr was never close to the indians.
the whole incident is definitely funded , and planned just to destabilize bangladesh.
the whole incident is definitely funded , and planned just to destabilize bangladesh.
A.V.
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Bangladesh to constitute special tribunals for quick trial of culprits
Bangladesh government will constitute special tribunals for quick and 'exemplary punishment of the culprits' involved in the 'barbaric and gruesome' killings of army officers during the rebellion by Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) troops despite an earlier announced general amnesty.
"The prime minister announced general amnesty does not mean that those (rebel BDR soldiers) who were involved in killings, rebellion, arson and other heinous activities will be forgiven," Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Principal Staff Officer (PSO) Lt Gen Mohammad Abdul Mubin said in a nationwide televised statement shortly after midnight.
Mubin said the government has decided to constitute special tribunals for quick and 'exemplary punishment of the culprits' for such 'barbaric and gruesome activities'.
He promised fast track trial of 'culprits' involved in the killings of army officers during the rebellion.
"They (culprits) cannot be pardoned and will not be forgiven either," Mubin vowed, saying he was clarifying some issues as the PSO to the prime minister and minister in-charge of armed forces division "at her directive".
His comments came as army chief General Moeen U Ahmed and senior generals held nearly two hours of meeting with Hasina as anguish visibly fumed among the army rank and file as the toll in the 33-hour mutiny rose over 67 that included BDR chief Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed who is among the dead.
Bangladesh government will constitute special tribunals for quick and 'exemplary punishment of the culprits' involved in the 'barbaric and gruesome' killings of army officers during the rebellion by Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) troops despite an earlier announced general amnesty.
"The prime minister announced general amnesty does not mean that those (rebel BDR soldiers) who were involved in killings, rebellion, arson and other heinous activities will be forgiven," Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Principal Staff Officer (PSO) Lt Gen Mohammad Abdul Mubin said in a nationwide televised statement shortly after midnight.
Mubin said the government has decided to constitute special tribunals for quick and 'exemplary punishment of the culprits' for such 'barbaric and gruesome activities'.
He promised fast track trial of 'culprits' involved in the killings of army officers during the rebellion.
"They (culprits) cannot be pardoned and will not be forgiven either," Mubin vowed, saying he was clarifying some issues as the PSO to the prime minister and minister in-charge of armed forces division "at her directive".
His comments came as army chief General Moeen U Ahmed and senior generals held nearly two hours of meeting with Hasina as anguish visibly fumed among the army rank and file as the toll in the 33-hour mutiny rose over 67 that included BDR chief Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed who is among the dead.
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In addendum to the above statement, the following startling revelations have come to light:
Bangladesh mutineers name tycoon with Pak links
1 Mar 2009
NEW DELHI: The first signs of a Pakistani footprint is showing up in the bloody mutiny that shook Bangladesh this week. As mass graves continue to spew forth more bloody tales - 10 more bodies have been recovered, bringing the toll to 76 - what is emerging slowly is a larger design behind the apparently senseless killing over the past couple of days.
The preliminary interrogation of some of the rebels has thrown up the name of Salauddin Qadeer Chowdhury, a well-known shipping magnate and reportedly very close to the Pakistan military-intelligence complex and the opposition BNP. According to sources monitoring the situation, about one crore taka has already changed hands to help the mutiny along.
Chowdhury, a close associate of opposition BNP leader Begum Khaleda Zia, was closely connected to the Chittagong arms drop case of April 2004 - the arms were apparently intended for ULFA. The ships were caught carrying the arms.
Salauddin Chowdhury, belonging to an old Chittagong family, has been close to Pakistan for decades.
Trouble continues to brew in Dhaka, where the army cadres, particularly mid-level officers, are spoiling for a fight with the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) cadres. So far, the Bangladesh army leaders, led by army chief Moeen Ahmed, have kept the officers in check, which is making the present situation slightly different from 1975.
According to the fire service operations chief, Sheikh Mohammad Shahjalal, 50 officers are still missing. "We have so far removed 10 dead bodies. They are badly decomposed and many are mutilated," he said. "They not only shot them dead but some bodies were badly mutilated with bayonets," Shahjalal said.
It is increasingly clear that the chief targets are the army chief Moeen Ahmed and prime minister Sheikh Hasina who, reports say, has been moved to an army guest house for her personal safety.
In fact, a number of plots are surfacing, all intended to create confusion while the real targets would have been attacked.
Sources are also pointing to the scale of the brutality of the murders, the mutilations, etc, which they say are tell-tale signs of the fundamentalist Islamist ideologies that have infiltrated the lower cadres of the BDR, thanks to their extensive Jamaat-e-Islami and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) connections.
Behind the mutiny is the war crimes tribunal that Sheikh Hasina promised to set up for the trial of Pakistani collaborators or 'razakars' from the independence war. This had created trouble inside Bangladesh and Pakistan as well.
In fact, Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari sent an emissary to Sheikh Hasina, Pervez Ispahani, to persuade her to put off this trial as it could embarrass the Pak army considerably.
After the dust has settled down, Sheikh Hasina and Ahmed are likely to launch a purge of their own in the army, which is likely to create its own tensions. In any case, it promises to keep Sheikh Hasina off balance for a while, as Bangladesh joins other tottering nations on India's periphery.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Pak-footprint-behind-Bangladesh-mutiny/articleshow/4205848.cms
x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x
Pak hand in Bangladesh mutiny?
3/1/2009 7:25:42 AM
Rebels' real target? Bangladesh PM
Shekh Hasina (File photo)
Reports are emerging of a Pakistani footprint behind the recent mutiny in Bangladesh.
As reported in The Times of India, the preliminary interrogation of some of the rebels has thrown up the name of Salauddin Qadeer Chowdhury, a well-known shipping magnate and reportedly very close to the Pakistan military-intelligence complex and the opposition BNP. According to sources monitoring the situation, about one crore taka has already changed hands to help the mutiny along.
Salauddin Chowdhury is reportedly a close to the Pakistan military-intelligence complex. Chowdhury is closely connected to the Chittagong arms drop case of April 2004 - the arms were apparently intended for ULFA. The ships were caught carrying the arms.
Meanwhile, the full horror of the mutiny is just coming to light. With more mass graves being discovered, the death toll has gone up to over 80. Another 50 army officers are still missing.
Consipiracy theories
A number of conspiracy theories behind the mutiny are surfacing.
Reports suggest that the chief targets of the mutiny were the army chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who may have now been moved to an army guest house. In fact, a number of plots are surfacing, all intended to create confusion while the real targets would have been attacked.
Sources, as quoted by the TOI are also pointing to the scale of the brutality of the murders, the mutilations, etc, which they say are tell-tale signs of the Islamist ideologies that have infiltrated the lower cadres of the BDR, thanks to their extensive Jamaat-e-Islami and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) connections.
A theory also doing the rounds is that war crime tribunal promised by Sheikh Hasina for the trial of Pakistani collaborators or razakars from the independence war could be the reason behind the mutiny. This had created trouble inside Bangladesh and Pakistan as well, TOI said.
Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari is also said to have sent an emissary to Sheikh Hasina, Pervez Ispahani, to persuade her to put off this trial as it could embarrass the Pakistani army considerably.
http://timesnow.tv/NewsDtls.aspx?NewsId=30828
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BDR mutiny: Surviving Army officers recall ordeal
Dhaka: Giving a chilling account of the bloody BDR mutiny, Bangladeshi Army officers have revealed that about 20-25 soldiers instigated others to massacre their superiors, one of whom pretended to be dead by smearing blood of a slain colleague on his face to dodge the killers.
Minutes after the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) soldiers went on a killing spree on Wednesday morning, an officer cheated almost certain death by covering his face with the blood oozing out of an unfortunate colleague's body.
"Mutineers spotted me and Major Maksud inside the washroom of the hall (in the BDR headquarters) where we were hiding," Major Monir was quoted as saying by 'The Daily Star' newspaper.
He said the BDR soldiers started firing at them from outside the washroom and Maksud was hit several times. "As blood gushing out of Maksud sir's body flooded the floor, I took it in my hands, stained my face with it and pretended dead," Monir said.
He said he had cut his forehead with a piece of shattered glass in his desperate bid to make them believe that he was dead. But, he said, the blood coming out of his forehead was not enough, forcing him to take the blood of Major Maksud.
"The men came inside the washroom later and left after seeing the blood-stained bodies believing that both of us had died," the Major said.
"I heard a jawan boasting to another jawan that he had killed 15 officers," he said.
Other survivors say the mutineers fired at their officers, but they too were overcome by fear at the sight of piles of bodies and fled the BDR headquarters in Pilkhana area in the heart of Dhaka.
The survivors revealed that the two-day mutiny that resulted in the killing of 73 officers and four civilians was unleashed by a group of 20 to 25 non-commissioned personnel, who forced others to take up guns and participate in the killings that followed.
"The small group of leaders, all of whom were based in Pilkhana BDR Headquarters, carried out all the mindless killings, most of which took place between 9:00 am and 11:00 am on Wednesday," the survivors were quoted as saying by 'The Daily Star'.
Some of the rebel leaders went to the arms depot and broke open its doors. Then they forced other soldiers present in Pilkhana to take up arms as well, many of whom were there that day from battalions outside Dhaka, on the occasion of the BDR Week, the survivors said.
The survivors said there was no specific leader of the mutiny and added that a few officers were able to come out alive from the BDR complex because many soldiers protested when the mutineers tried to kill them, the paper reported.
Col Syed M Quamruzzaman, who was present at the 'Darbar' or meeting of soldiers and officers at the BDR headquarters where the revolt began, too had a miraculous escape.
"The guards came armed and were apparently hell bent upon a showdown," he said after the revolt ended on Thursday, adding the rebels "barged into the meeting hurling abuses at us."
"They told us that they were treated shabbily and wanted cheap rations, higher pay, better working conditions and UN postings," he said.
Recalling the sordid happenings in the main hall of the complex, the Colonel said the BDR personnel, some carrying even sub-machine guns, said they wanted an end to what they called "army's rule over BDR".
"At gun point, they marched Director General Major General Shakil Ahmed and other senior officers in a single file outside the hall.
"Just outside, another batch of the soldiers came running in and opened indiscriminate firing, which felled the DG and other senior officers," the Colonel said.
The body of BDR chief Maj Gen Ahmed was retrieved from a mass grave of 42 officers on Friday. His wife Nazneen was also killed and her body was found in another grave inside the BDR headquarters. There was no word on the fate of the couple's teenage son.
"Bullets were sprayed on me and I was hit in the stomach. But I managed to crawl into a nearby bathroom to hide...," Quamruzzaman said, adding he somehow managed to survive.
"It was cold-blooded murder," the Colonel and some other Army survivors recounted.
Most of these officers were on deputation to run the Bangladesh Rifles, which is the country's premier para-military force.
Though like Assam Rifles in India, BDR comes under Home Ministry, but it is run totally by Army officers who man all top posts.
http://news.in.msn.com/international/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1873953
Dhaka: Giving a chilling account of the bloody BDR mutiny, Bangladeshi Army officers have revealed that about 20-25 soldiers instigated others to massacre their superiors, one of whom pretended to be dead by smearing blood of a slain colleague on his face to dodge the killers.
Minutes after the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) soldiers went on a killing spree on Wednesday morning, an officer cheated almost certain death by covering his face with the blood oozing out of an unfortunate colleague's body.
"Mutineers spotted me and Major Maksud inside the washroom of the hall (in the BDR headquarters) where we were hiding," Major Monir was quoted as saying by 'The Daily Star' newspaper.
He said the BDR soldiers started firing at them from outside the washroom and Maksud was hit several times. "As blood gushing out of Maksud sir's body flooded the floor, I took it in my hands, stained my face with it and pretended dead," Monir said.
He said he had cut his forehead with a piece of shattered glass in his desperate bid to make them believe that he was dead. But, he said, the blood coming out of his forehead was not enough, forcing him to take the blood of Major Maksud.
"The men came inside the washroom later and left after seeing the blood-stained bodies believing that both of us had died," the Major said.
"I heard a jawan boasting to another jawan that he had killed 15 officers," he said.
Other survivors say the mutineers fired at their officers, but they too were overcome by fear at the sight of piles of bodies and fled the BDR headquarters in Pilkhana area in the heart of Dhaka.
The survivors revealed that the two-day mutiny that resulted in the killing of 73 officers and four civilians was unleashed by a group of 20 to 25 non-commissioned personnel, who forced others to take up guns and participate in the killings that followed.
"The small group of leaders, all of whom were based in Pilkhana BDR Headquarters, carried out all the mindless killings, most of which took place between 9:00 am and 11:00 am on Wednesday," the survivors were quoted as saying by 'The Daily Star'.
Some of the rebel leaders went to the arms depot and broke open its doors. Then they forced other soldiers present in Pilkhana to take up arms as well, many of whom were there that day from battalions outside Dhaka, on the occasion of the BDR Week, the survivors said.
The survivors said there was no specific leader of the mutiny and added that a few officers were able to come out alive from the BDR complex because many soldiers protested when the mutineers tried to kill them, the paper reported.
Col Syed M Quamruzzaman, who was present at the 'Darbar' or meeting of soldiers and officers at the BDR headquarters where the revolt began, too had a miraculous escape.
"The guards came armed and were apparently hell bent upon a showdown," he said after the revolt ended on Thursday, adding the rebels "barged into the meeting hurling abuses at us."
"They told us that they were treated shabbily and wanted cheap rations, higher pay, better working conditions and UN postings," he said.
Recalling the sordid happenings in the main hall of the complex, the Colonel said the BDR personnel, some carrying even sub-machine guns, said they wanted an end to what they called "army's rule over BDR".
"At gun point, they marched Director General Major General Shakil Ahmed and other senior officers in a single file outside the hall.
"Just outside, another batch of the soldiers came running in and opened indiscriminate firing, which felled the DG and other senior officers," the Colonel said.
The body of BDR chief Maj Gen Ahmed was retrieved from a mass grave of 42 officers on Friday. His wife Nazneen was also killed and her body was found in another grave inside the BDR headquarters. There was no word on the fate of the couple's teenage son.
"Bullets were sprayed on me and I was hit in the stomach. But I managed to crawl into a nearby bathroom to hide...," Quamruzzaman said, adding he somehow managed to survive.
"It was cold-blooded murder," the Colonel and some other Army survivors recounted.
Most of these officers were on deputation to run the Bangladesh Rifles, which is the country's premier para-military force.
Though like Assam Rifles in India, BDR comes under Home Ministry, but it is run totally by Army officers who man all top posts.
http://news.in.msn.com/international/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1873953
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Indian air force ready for action after mutiny erupts in Bangladesh
NEW DELHI, March 2 (Xinhua) -- India put its air force in a stand-by scenario for likely logistic and humanitarian assistance to Bangladesh after Bangladesh, the neighbor country, was plunged into a bloody mutiny last week, said the local newspaper Hindustan Times on Monday.
The Indian Air Force's transport bases, equipped with IL-76 heavy-lift and AN-32 medium-lift aircraft, were asked to stay prepared to assist the Bangladesh government, if it is requested by Dhaka, the report quoted an air force official as saying.
The report quoted the official as saying that the Indian Air Force "follows some drills whenever there is any instability or calamity in neighborhood."
The Indian Air Force has two transport bases at Jorhat in Assam close to Bangladesh, according to the report.
India flew relief supplies to Bangladesh in November 2007 after a devastating cyclone hit the country's western coast, killing thousands.
Under a stand-by scenario, Indian Air Force makes sure that assets are available at any given time for speedy deployment to deal with any eventuality, according to the report.
Bangladesh Rifles paramilitary soldiers staged a two-day bloody mutiny last week in Dhaka, demanding better pay, change in the command and control structure and permission to join UN peacekeeping missions.
Many people were killed, including military officers, by the mutineers, before the government took control of the situation.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-03/02/content_10926315.htm
NEW DELHI, March 2 (Xinhua) -- India put its air force in a stand-by scenario for likely logistic and humanitarian assistance to Bangladesh after Bangladesh, the neighbor country, was plunged into a bloody mutiny last week, said the local newspaper Hindustan Times on Monday.
The Indian Air Force's transport bases, equipped with IL-76 heavy-lift and AN-32 medium-lift aircraft, were asked to stay prepared to assist the Bangladesh government, if it is requested by Dhaka, the report quoted an air force official as saying.
The report quoted the official as saying that the Indian Air Force "follows some drills whenever there is any instability or calamity in neighborhood."
The Indian Air Force has two transport bases at Jorhat in Assam close to Bangladesh, according to the report.
India flew relief supplies to Bangladesh in November 2007 after a devastating cyclone hit the country's western coast, killing thousands.
Under a stand-by scenario, Indian Air Force makes sure that assets are available at any given time for speedy deployment to deal with any eventuality, according to the report.
Bangladesh Rifles paramilitary soldiers staged a two-day bloody mutiny last week in Dhaka, demanding better pay, change in the command and control structure and permission to join UN peacekeeping missions.
Many people were killed, including military officers, by the mutineers, before the government took control of the situation.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-03/02/content_10926315.htm
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Hasina seeks US help to probe BDR conspiracy
Hasina seeks US help to probe BDR conspiracy
NEW DELHI: The conspiracy angle in the Bangladesh Rifles mutiny was further strengthened on Sunday with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina seeking help
from the FBI to probe the case.
This development came even as the police charged around 1,000 BDR soldiers for arson and murder. Many of these men, however, have not yet been identified. It is believed that some of them, fearing a backlash from the army, may try and sneak into India.
The conspiracy theory came to light when some BDR soldiers detained by the army revealed the role of businessman Salauddin Qadeer Chowdhury in instigating the revolt. Chowdhury, a close aide of Sheikh Hasina's rival and BNP leader Khaleda Zia, is known for his links with security agencies in Pakistan.
Hasina conveyed the need for a probe by the FBI to US assistant secretary of state for South Asia Richard Boucher when he telephoned her on Sunday morning.
According to China's official news agency Xinhua, Hasina told Boucher that there might be a conspiracy behind what had transpired and that the FBI could help Dhaka identify the real culprits.
Sources said Bangladesh has also requested India to ensure that no BDR soldier manages to sneak through the porous international border. With more than 70 of its officers still missing, the Bangladesh army is said to be baying for the mutineers' blood.
The official death toll has now reached 81. The army maintains that those guilty of murder must be hanged. Bangladesh has formed a 10-member committee headed by its home minister to probe the case.
BDR men who were absent from their workplace without any leave or permission following the mutiny have been asked by the government to report to BDR headquarters or nearest police stations as soon as possible. One of the survivors, Lt-Col Abdus Salam, on Sunday said this was a case of planned killing. He, however, added that only some of the soldiers were involved and that others actually tried to help the victims.
Meanwhile, foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Sunday that Bangladesh was competent enough to deal with the situation arising out of the BDR revolt. "It is an internal matter of Bangladesh. They are competent to handle the situation," Mukherjee said when asked about the alleged conspiracy behind the revolt.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-probe-BDR-conspiracy/articleshow/4210045.cms
Hasina seeks US help to probe BDR conspiracy
NEW DELHI: The conspiracy angle in the Bangladesh Rifles mutiny was further strengthened on Sunday with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina seeking help
from the FBI to probe the case.
This development came even as the police charged around 1,000 BDR soldiers for arson and murder. Many of these men, however, have not yet been identified. It is believed that some of them, fearing a backlash from the army, may try and sneak into India.
The conspiracy theory came to light when some BDR soldiers detained by the army revealed the role of businessman Salauddin Qadeer Chowdhury in instigating the revolt. Chowdhury, a close aide of Sheikh Hasina's rival and BNP leader Khaleda Zia, is known for his links with security agencies in Pakistan.
Hasina conveyed the need for a probe by the FBI to US assistant secretary of state for South Asia Richard Boucher when he telephoned her on Sunday morning.
According to China's official news agency Xinhua, Hasina told Boucher that there might be a conspiracy behind what had transpired and that the FBI could help Dhaka identify the real culprits.
Sources said Bangladesh has also requested India to ensure that no BDR soldier manages to sneak through the porous international border. With more than 70 of its officers still missing, the Bangladesh army is said to be baying for the mutineers' blood.
The official death toll has now reached 81. The army maintains that those guilty of murder must be hanged. Bangladesh has formed a 10-member committee headed by its home minister to probe the case.
BDR men who were absent from their workplace without any leave or permission following the mutiny have been asked by the government to report to BDR headquarters or nearest police stations as soon as possible. One of the survivors, Lt-Col Abdus Salam, on Sunday said this was a case of planned killing. He, however, added that only some of the soldiers were involved and that others actually tried to help the victims.
Meanwhile, foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Sunday that Bangladesh was competent enough to deal with the situation arising out of the BDR revolt. "It is an internal matter of Bangladesh. They are competent to handle the situation," Mukherjee said when asked about the alleged conspiracy behind the revolt.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-probe-BDR-conspiracy/articleshow/4210045.cms
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India to BSF: Nab fleeing BDR men
NEW DELHI: India on Monday conveyed to Bangladesh its readiness to extend whatever support Dhaka might require to handle the current situation
there, even as Union home ministry asked BSF “to disarm BDR personnel and take them into custody if they try to sneak in” to this side.
Viewing the mutiny by BDR personnel as an effort to destabilise the Sheikh Hasina government, foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee wrote to the Bangladesh PM expressing “great shock” at the tragedy that has unfolded over the last few days there.
Stating that New Delhi stood ready to extend whatever support and assistance Dhaka may require at this juncture, Mukherjee mentioned that India, as a close and friendly neighbour, wished to see a democratic, stable and prosperous Bangladesh.
Though BSF was asked to remain vigilant along the border the day Dhaka reported the rebellion last week, the ministry has now issued detailed guidelines as how to handle the situation amid ‘unconfirmed’ reports that some of the BDR personnel from across the border have already sneaked in through the unfenced border in civil dress.
The rebel BDR personnel had stormed the force’s headquarters in Dhaka last week and massacred over 70 army personnel, including their chief Major General Shakil Ahmed. The slain BDR chief was known for having good relations with his counterparts in India despite bitterness between the border guards of both the countries.
Referring to the communication to BSF, sources in the home ministry said that the fresh guidelines were issued in the wake of reports from Dhaka which apprehended that a few among the 700 to 800 BDR personnel might have sneaked into India to escape the law in Bangladesh.
The authorities in the neighbouring country have so far booked nearly 1,000 personnel for murder and arson and have been looking for the missing ones, they added.
An official here said since the Bangladesh army has already surrounded a number of BDR border outposts, India has been keeping a close watch.
NEW DELHI: India on Monday conveyed to Bangladesh its readiness to extend whatever support Dhaka might require to handle the current situation
there, even as Union home ministry asked BSF “to disarm BDR personnel and take them into custody if they try to sneak in” to this side.
Viewing the mutiny by BDR personnel as an effort to destabilise the Sheikh Hasina government, foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee wrote to the Bangladesh PM expressing “great shock” at the tragedy that has unfolded over the last few days there.
Stating that New Delhi stood ready to extend whatever support and assistance Dhaka may require at this juncture, Mukherjee mentioned that India, as a close and friendly neighbour, wished to see a democratic, stable and prosperous Bangladesh.
Though BSF was asked to remain vigilant along the border the day Dhaka reported the rebellion last week, the ministry has now issued detailed guidelines as how to handle the situation amid ‘unconfirmed’ reports that some of the BDR personnel from across the border have already sneaked in through the unfenced border in civil dress.
The rebel BDR personnel had stormed the force’s headquarters in Dhaka last week and massacred over 70 army personnel, including their chief Major General Shakil Ahmed. The slain BDR chief was known for having good relations with his counterparts in India despite bitterness between the border guards of both the countries.
Referring to the communication to BSF, sources in the home ministry said that the fresh guidelines were issued in the wake of reports from Dhaka which apprehended that a few among the 700 to 800 BDR personnel might have sneaked into India to escape the law in Bangladesh.
The authorities in the neighbouring country have so far booked nearly 1,000 personnel for murder and arson and have been looking for the missing ones, they added.
An official here said since the Bangladesh army has already surrounded a number of BDR border outposts, India has been keeping a close watch.
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Outsiders in uniform behind BDR mutiny
DHAKA: Video footage of the mutiny by the country's border guards shows "outsiders wearing BDR (Bangladesh Rifles) uniform", a senior army
official has alleged.
The new BDR chief brigadier general Mohammed Mainul Islam referred to "unknown people" who did not belong to the force, while talking to the Daily Star newspaper on Tuesday, reinforcing the government charge of "a conspiracy by outside forces".
The officer is part of the high level probe looking into the insurrection February 25-26 in which thousands of BDR troopers stormed into an officers' conference and went on a killing spree. Over a hundred Bangladesh Army officers who man the paramilitary force from the top down to the battalion level, were shot dead or bludgeoned.
DHAKA: Video footage of the mutiny by the country's border guards shows "outsiders wearing BDR (Bangladesh Rifles) uniform", a senior army
official has alleged.
The new BDR chief brigadier general Mohammed Mainul Islam referred to "unknown people" who did not belong to the force, while talking to the Daily Star newspaper on Tuesday, reinforcing the government charge of "a conspiracy by outside forces".
The officer is part of the high level probe looking into the insurrection February 25-26 in which thousands of BDR troopers stormed into an officers' conference and went on a killing spree. Over a hundred Bangladesh Army officers who man the paramilitary force from the top down to the battalion level, were shot dead or bludgeoned.
The attack on Lankan cricketers in Lahore
TERRORISM
The Hidden Emirate Of Anarchistan
A larger theme unites 26/11, the BDR mutiny and Lahore terror
The Great Game
It's the 21st century subcontinent version of the Great Game, which is essentially a strategic battle between two powers in a particular region. In South Asia, though, Islamist terror groups and sections of the establishment have combined together for their agenda. The Theatre: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan
The Agenda: Islamists and their supporters want to destabilise democratically elected governments friendly to India. They want to Islamicise society, grab power, and arrest India's rise as an emerging power.
The Modus Operandi:
BangladeshThe BDR mutiny is said to be backed by anti-India forces, the Jamaat and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. The ISI’s support to the Jamaat-BNP is also suspected.
Why the mutiny: Ostensibly over the demand for a pay hike, but aimed at stalling the trial of those accused of war crimes in the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971. The trial would make both the BNP-Jamaat group as well as Pakistan hugely unpopular. Will strengthen the Hasina government, which has a pro-India tilt.
Pakistan Attack on Lankan team said to involve Lashkar, accused of masterminding 26\11. Perhaps backed by Islamists in ISI and army.
The gameplan: Take Lankan players hostage, swap them for Lashkar leader Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, now in custody.
The motive: Mumbai probe fast establishing links between Lashkar and Islamists in Pak establishment. Attack is a warning to Zardari not to implicate army officers in Mumbai horror. Also aimed to tell the world that Islamabad too is a victim of terror, and shouldn't be pushed to meet India's demands on Mumbai.
India Strategy for Bangladesh: Conveyed to anti-India elements it wouldn't sit idle should crisis escalate. Warned Dhaka and army against swift retaliation to prevent a ’75-like scenario, when many of Mujibur Rahman’s kin was killed.
Strategy for Pakistan: Dismisses all talks of RAW being behind the attack. Will keep pressure on Pakistan to dismantle the terror infrastructure. Try to strengthen democratic forces.
***In the relatively innocent 19th century, Great Britain and Russia engaged in a prolonged proxy war to establish their dominance over Central Asia and Afghanistan. Historians describe that competition between the imperial powers as the Great Game. Welcome now to the 21st century version of that game unfolding in South Asia. At times you can easily identify the actors: they’re no doubt Islamist radicals, hiding in the mountains or melting into the anonymity of urban sprawls.But backing them often are shadowy people in the establishment, hatching sinister plots to foment violence and instability in the region. Their long-term motive: destabilise elected governments in South Asia and create an ambience inimical to the politico-economic development of the region in general and India in particular. In other words, ensure India does not emerge as a power others in South Asia can’t compete with. In the short term, though, the aim of the players in the Great Game is to scuttle the investigations into the Mumbai terror attack that are unravelling too fast for both the jehadi group who perpetrated it and their supporters in the Pakistani establishment. Indeed, from the available evidence, it’s certain that the forces behind the Mumbai terror attack are precisely those who encouraged the personnel of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) to mutiny as well as launched the audacious attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore.
Continued...
Continued...Mumbai, Dhaka and Lahore are strands ultimately woven together into a macabre plot of death and destruction. Proof of this came during a closed-door meeting of a motley group of about 50 Congress leaders hailing from different states earlier this week. Addressing them in the capital’s Mavalankar Hall, foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee disclosed a conspiracy was afoot to destabilise the elected governments in Bangladesh and Pakistan. He let out a hitherto unknown fact to the audience: "I had to go out of my way to issue a stern warning to those trying to destabilise the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh that if they continued with their attempts, then India would not sit idle." In other words, New Delhi had conveyed it was willing to take counter-measures in the Great Game, including the possibility of direct intervention.
The BDR mutiny in Dhaka
During the BDR crisis, Pranab wrote a letter to Prime Minister Hasina (portions of which were released to the media) expressing his dismay at the turn of events in Bangladesh.
The aim of these attacks? To derail the 26/11 probe, that points to elements in Pak establishment...
"As a close and friendly neighbour of Bangladesh, India wished to see a democratic, stable and prosperous Bangladesh," he wrote, and that "India stood ready to extend whatever support and assistance that Bangladesh may require at this juncture". At
the same meeting, Pranab also talked about the attack on the Lankan cricket team, describing it as an attempt by those "elements" in Pakistan who want to marginalise the democratic forces and scuttle investigations into the Mumbai attacks. Pranab’s is not the only voice expressing worries over the concerted efforts directed against India. "There’s no doubt that elements of the Pakistani army and the ISI were behind the Dhaka and Lahore incidents," former foreign minister and BJP leader Yashwant Sinha told Outlook.
So, why are the forces working in unison against India in South Asia? First, Bangladesh. The BDR rebellion here was ostensibly sparked off by the demand for a pay hike (see Soldiers Of Ill Fortune). New Delhi, however, feels the ruthless killing of army officers, who train and command BDR troops, indicated intricate planning. The story goes back about two years ago when the army installed a caretaker government to cleanse the system. The cleansing hurt the interests of many in Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its ally, the Jamaat-e-Islami. It was at this time that Islamist terrorists were hanged and the anti-India force marginalised.
Then in a remarkably free and fair election towards December-end, Hasina’s Awami League, which leans towards India in its policy, swept to power, making the BNP-Jamaat extremely nervous. Add to this Hasina’s steely determination to try for war crimes those who committed atrocities during the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971. Some Jamaat leaders too are expected to face trial. Says former diplomat Naresh Chandra, "The bottled-up resentment in the BDR against the army could have been a valid reason for the mutiny. But mischievous elements close to Khaleda Zia could also have played their part in fanning the violence."
The plan, Delhi feels, was to ensure a violent reaction from the Bangladesh army, thus plunging the country into chaos. A senior diplomat told Outlook that New Delhi advised Hasina and the Bangladesh army to tread cautiously and avoid creating a 1975-like situation, when most members of the country’s founder Mujibur Rahman’s family were gunned down. That was perhaps the reason why Hasina announced general amnesty to secure the surrender of BDR mutineers.
