Pilkhana tragedy: Chief public prosecutor says Hasina to face explosives case
Although the trial in the murder case has been completed, the case filed under the Explosives Act has been pending for 17 years.
Highlights:
- The 17th anniversary of the Pilkhana tragedy today
- Explosives Act case pending for 17 years
- 74, including 57 army officers, killed during 2009 mutiny
- 822 people accused under Explosives Act so far
- Murder trial concluded with 152 sentencing to death
Several senior leaders of the Awami League, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, former home minister Sahara Khatun, former Dhaka city mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, and former MP Jahangir Kabir Nanak, are set to be made accused in the long-pending Pilkhana case under the Explosives Act.
Chief Public Prosecutor Md Borhan Uddin, overseeing the case, told TBS that the number of accused may rise further. He stated that the names of the aforementioned individuals have surfaced in witness testimonies and that legal provisions exist to include them as accused. Further action will be taken after consultations with higher authorities.
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At the same time, the prosecution is careful to ensure that adding new accused does not delay the trial proceedings, he added.
The case relates to the Pilkhana mutiny on 25-26 February 2009, when 74 people, including 57 army officers, were killed at the then Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) headquarters under the guise of demands. The incident plunged the nation into grief and shock.
Although the trial in the murder case has been completed, the case filed under the Explosives Act has been pending for 17 years.
The trial is currently underway at a temporary court inside Keraniganj Central Jail, Dhaka, presided over by Judge Md Alamgir of Dhaka's Special Tribunal-1. Most recently, on 29 January, two army officers testified, with the next testimony scheduled for 26 February.
According to court documents, 822 individuals are accused under the Explosives Act, of whom around 250 are out on bail while the rest remain in jail. So far, testimonies of 302 out of 1,345 listed witnesses have been recorded.
The prosecution also said that testimonies of several key witnesses have newly revealed alleged involvement of a number of influential Awami League leaders.
Initially, two cases were filed at Chawkbazar Police Station under charges of murder and the Explosives Act, later transferred to New Market Police Station. In July 2010, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) submitted charge sheets in both cases. While the murder trial began in 2011, proceedings under the Explosives Act were delayed for years.
In the murder case, the lower court sentenced 152 people to death. The High Court, on 27 November 2017, upheld 139 death sentences, commuted eight to life imprisonment, and acquitted four. Additionally, 185 were sentenced to life, 228 received varying prison terms, and 283 were acquitted. The murder case is now pending before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.
Defence lawyer Faruk Ahmed expressed a desire for a swift conclusion of the Explosives Act case, noting that no accused has yet been granted bail despite multiple petitions. "We seek justice," he said.
The prosecution emphasised the need to conclude the case promptly, considering the long wait and expectations of victims' families.
Borhan Uddin also said that in the new context under the new democratic government, there has been an instruction from the higher authorities that the name of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) will be reverted to BDR.
He added that appeals against the murder convictions and acquittals have already been addressed at the High Court level, with some previously acquitted individuals later sentenced to life imprisonment.
