BDR massacre: Retired Lt Col Akramuzzaman recalls 36 breath-stopping hours
Conjuring up the memories from the past, while saying about the carnage his voice was quivering even 16 years after the horrific event
Lieutenant Colonel (retd) Akramuzzaman narrowly survived the 2009 BDR carnage, spending 36 hours in hiding at the Pilkhana headquarters of the border force as rebel soldiers hunted down army officers.
Conjuring up the memories from the past, while saying about the carnage his voice was quivering even 16 years after the horrific event.
"I was then posted at Jashore BDR battalion, one of the smuggling-prone areas along the Bangladesh-India border. That year, as we ranked first in seizing smuggled goods, I was invited to the annual BDR Week in Pilkhana to receive individual and team awards," Akramuzzaman told TBS.
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"The first day, 24 February 2009, went well. But the following day, 25 February, was set for the Darbar — an open discussion between officers and soldiers. As it began, some masked and veiled soldiers suddenly opened fire indiscriminately, attacking the officers on stage and in the Darbar Hall," he recalled.
"It was a bizarre turn of events. Thunderous booms, undulating waves of gunfire. Soon after, one soldier from my Jashore battalion stripped off my rank badge and deposited me through the waves of people outwards of the hall. Outside, soldiers perched on armoured vehicles were patrolling the roads of the Pilkhana," he said.
Struggling to escape, Akramuzzaman reached a boundary wall of the compound after two hours of a hurdle but found it too high to climb.
"Two soldiers, Subedar Abdur Rashid and Subedar Siraj, took me to the Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO) mess at around 11am. There, Abdur Rashid handed me an old uniform to disguise myself as a soldier, as the rebels were actively hunting officers," he said.
"When the mutineers came searching, the subedars locked me inside a room and left, diverting the rebels in another direction. I remained hidden under a cot in the mess for 36 long hours," he added.
On the evening of 26 February, Subedar Rashid and Siraj helped Akramuzzaman escape.
"There were some Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and intelligence officials outside. That night, I finally left Pilkhana after nearly 36 breath-stopping hours. Some television channels even aired footage of my escape," Akramuzzaman said.
"Had I not put on a soldier's uniform, I would have been killed," he said.
"There were 87 officers in the Darbar Hall. Of them, 57 were killed. Only 37 officers could survive by the grace of Almighty Allah with the help of some BDR soldiers," he added.
Akramuzzaman believes the massacre was "a premeditated and well-planned operation to wipe out the top brass of the Bangladesh Army — an international and national conspiracy."
He also claimed that "the trial was later diverted in another direction."
Jatiya Shaheed Sena Dibash was observed nationwide on Tuesday (25 February) in memory of the army officers who were brutally killed in the Pilkhana carnage about 16 years back.
