No reason to claim convicted BDR soldiers innocent: Families of Pilkhana martyrs
The families of the martyrs and surviving military officers of the 2009 Pilkhana massacre have demanded swift justice through a special tribunal, urging the identification and prosecution of those who planned, financed, and aided the massacre.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday at RAOWA Club in Dhaka, the families said there is no reason to claim the accused and convicted BDR soldiers are innocent, and any calls for their release are unfair.
Dr Fablila Bushra, the daughter of Lieutenant Colonel Lutfor Rahman Khan, who was killed in the massacre, delivered the main address.
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She recounted the events of 25 February 2009, when the massacre occurred.
"That day, 57 unarmed and innocent BDR officers, including military personnel, were brutally killed. Their bodies were mutilated, loaded onto trucks, and either burned, buried in mass graves, thrown into drains, or simply disappeared.
"The officers' families were tortured and murdered, and innocent women and children were dragged and subjected to severe torture before being imprisoned. Many surviving officers also endured physical abuse, and their homes were vandalised, burned, and looted," she said.
Bushra added that on that fateful day, nearly 5,000 BDR members and approximately 4,000 weapons were amassed at Pilkhana.
"The rebellious soldiers looted the armory and used the weapons in the massacre. This was not just a rebellion at Pilkhana, but uprisings were incited by rogue BDR soldiers across the country, including at rifle battalions and training centres," she said.
Despite multiple investigations – by the Anis-uz Zaman Commission, army-led probes, the CID, and the BDR unit – Bushra said the political masterminds behind the conspiracy have not been revealed.
However, she said, the investigations have confirmed that the rogue BDR soldiers directly participated in the massacre.
"Sufficient evidence and testimonies from martyrs and surviving officers have led to the conviction and sentencing of the guilty soldiers in civil and BDR courts," she added.
"The cases of murder and weapons in civil courts were handled properly, and BDR soldiers were sentenced for their roles in the rebellion under the BDR Ordinance," Bushra also added.
She stressed that questioning the BDR court's decisions amounts to questioning the patriotism of military officers and the army itself.
"The convicted criminals must serve their sentences immediately to restore justice and clear the army's name. Without proper justice, a repeat of such an event in the future cannot be ruled out," Bushra warned.
Regretting that no families of accused or convicted soldiers had publicly raised demands in the past 15 years, she said, "Now, with unjustified claims of the soldiers' innocence, they are attempting to mislead the nation, create a culture of impunity, and divert attention from the true culprits."
Bushra further claimed that these efforts are designed to tarnish the reputation of military officers and the army, and unless justice is served, similar atrocities may occur again in the future.
She also highlighted the involvement of both domestic and foreign conspiracies in the BDR massacre and expressed hope that further investigations by the current government's commission will uncover the masterminds.
"We demand the identification and prosecution of the planners, financiers, and supporters of this massacre through a special tribunal. If necessary, those abroad should be brought back to face justice."
Finally, noting that the massacre of 57 BDR and military officers in a single day is unprecedented in world history, the families of the martyrs have called on the government to declare 25 February as National Martyrs' Army Day.
The press conference was attended by several other families of the martyrs, along with surviving military officers, including Advocate Sakib Rahman, son of martyred Colonel Kudrat Elahi.
