Justice kept in wait, still

This file photo shows a soldier unable to hold back tears at the Pilkhana BDR headquarters gate after the carnage that left 57 army officers dead. SHAWKAT JAMILJulfikar Ali Manik and Shariful Islam

Family members of the victims of February 25-26 BDR carnage want justice since it is the only thing at present that can console their broken souls.

The BDR started the trials of its jawans involved in the carnage under its own law on charge of mutiny at the Pilkhana headquarters, but the most sought-after trial for the killings has not started, as the Criminal Investigation Department is yet to complete its investigation.

One year has passed since the heinous massacre of 74 persons including 57 top and mid-ranking army officers. The horrifying memory of the incident is still fresh in the mind of the nation.

"The mutiny trial has started, but we do not know anything about the investigation into the brutal killings at Pilkhana," Fatema Sultana, widow of slain Col Gulzar Uddin Ahmed, expressed her concern to The Daily Star on Monday.

Nehreen Ferdousi, wife of another victim Col Mojibul Haque, said, "There is no mercy for such brutality. We want justice without any delay."

"You ask me what I want? I want to get back my husband. But I know you cannot do that, so ensure justice quickly," said Rashida Begum, the widow of rickshaw-puller Amzad Ali who was killed by a stray bullet fired by some BDR soldiers.

The victims' families also want that the real motives behind the mutiny be revealed.

On the eve of the first anniversary of the bloodbath at Pilkhana, the CID yesterday briefed the media for the first time about the state of the investigation.

"We are hopeful of submitting the investigation report within a few days," investigation officer of the case CID's Special Superintendent of Police Abdul Kahar Akand said at the briefing.

Replying to a query, he said former BNP lawmaker Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu and Awami League ward unit leader Torab Ali got involved in one stage of the mutiny conspiracy as individuals, but no involvement of any political party was found.

Akand said they have so far found involvement of around 900 people in the carnage. The mutiny was the outburst of the BDR soldiers' pent-up frustration over different demands. "The mutiny was staged to taint the image of the government," he said.

Family members of two slain army officers said they have so far received Tk 5 lakh each from the army, Tk 10 lakh each from the prime minister as compensation. The Bankers' Association of Bangladesh promised to provide them Tk 40,000 a month for 10 years and has already given one year's total Tk 4.8 lakh.

The family members of other victim army officers also received the same amount.

They also said they are yet to get the two flats for each of the victims' families promised by the prime minister.

However, the family members of two civilians killed in indiscriminate firing by BDR soldiers get varied amounts as compensation.

Father of Hridoy Hossain Rakib said they got Tk 10 lakh from the prime minister in two phases, Tk 50,000 from local lawmaker Fazle Noor Taposh, Tk 25,000 from Bhola Samity and Tk 10,000 from former president HM Ershad.

Slain Amzad Ali's wife Rashida Begum said she only got Tk 2 lakh from the prime minister and Tk 50,000 from Taposh.

They said the prime minister promised to provide each of the slain civilians' families with a flat, employment to one family member and the cost of studying for school going children, but they are yet to get those.

However, this money has no value to Hridoy's father Raja Mia. "If my son were alive, he would call me 'abba' and he could earn much more money in his life," he said.

Fatema Sultana said, "Life cannot be compensated by money."

Meanwhile, on the second day of the trial at BDR Special Court-5, set up in the same Darbar Hall that witnessed the bloody mutiny, 83 accused of Dhaka sector headquarters of BDR sat in the dock.

Two other accused in this case are fugitives--sepoys Maksudur Rahman and Nurul Alam.

The three-judge court headed by BDR Director General Maj Gen Md Mainul Islam again issued arrest warrants against them and ordered the authorities concerned to confiscate movable and immovable properties of the two.

The court also asked the prosecution to publish advertisement in two leading Bangla newspapers asking the fugitives to surrender. If police cannot arrest them in the next few days they would be tried in absentia at this court.

Another accused suffering chickenpox and undergoing treatment at a BDR hospital was brought in front of the court entrance in an ambulance. However, the prosecution did not take him to the dock. As per court order, the prosecution set up a loud speaker near the ambulance so that the accused could hear the proceedings.

On the same day a year ago, 40 of the total 86 accused in the case were in the Darbar Hall and had allegedly took part in the mayhem. Yesterday, they were sitting inside the same Darbar Hall with other soldiers as accused.

Prosecutor Maj Matiur Rahman, who is the acting commanding officer of the Dhaka sector headquarters, yesterday briefly narrated the carnage again and delivered an emotional statement before the court about the post-BDR-carnage life of the victims' families.

He repeatedly prayed for justice for the sake of the victims' families and described the specific offences committed by the 86.

Maj Matiur said, "When Maj Moqbul's family came to know that their dear one was killed in the carnage and they witnessed the body of another officer being recovered from the sewerage, Moqbul's child prayed to the Almighty so that He does not give his father's body back through the sewerage line."

Moqbul's body was found in a mass grave along with other slain officers.

He also said the child of another slain officer asked him "Will I meet my father if I die?".

The court adjourned proceedings till 9:00am April 15 and asked the accused to prepare their defence.

CID BRIEFING

The investigation officer of the case during the press briefing said preparations are on to submit the charge sheet of the case very soon, after verifying and double-checking everything for the sake of proper investigation and justice.

He said they are working hard to make sure that the offenders do not escape punishment through loopholes in the law.

Asked whether they found any links between the carnage and Jamaat leader Abdur Razzak, whom they summoned to the CID office and questioned earlier, the investigation office replied in the negative.

He said during and prior to the carnage, no vehicles or firearms that do not belong to the BDR were used or were transported in.

Replying to another query, he said two Chinese citizens were at the home of slain BDR director general Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed. The male and female foreigners studied in Bangladesh and were friends of Shakil Ahmed.

He also said around 3,700 firearms were used during the mutiny while around 70 firearms--64 pistols, five rifles and an SMG--are still missing.

The investigation officer said they have so far arrested 2,205 people in this connection and 523 of them made confessional statements before magistrates. The investigators have so far quizzed 7,974 people and collected 3,700 pieces of evidence from Pilkhana, where around 11,000 BDR members were present during the mutiny for BDR Week-2009.