The interim government formed a seven-member commission on reinvestigating the 2009 BDR carnage amid an outcry from the victim families and political pressure.
The Cabinet Division published a gazette notification to this end on Tuesday.
The seven-member commission will be led by former director general of BGB A L M Fazlur Rahman and six other members are - Maj Gen Md Jahangir Alam Talukder (Retd), Brigadier General Md Saidur Rahman, Bir Pratik, (Retd), retired joint secretary Munsi Alauddin Al Azad, retired DIG Dr M Akbar Ali, Md Shariful Islam, Associate Professor of Political Science Department of Dhaka University, Md Shahnewaz Khan Chandan, assistant professor of Institute of Education and Research of Jagannath University.
Earelier, adviser to the home affairs ministry, retired Lieutenant General Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, said on Monday that the chief adviser approved the formation of the commission on Sunday.
He shared the information while talking to journalists after the Border Guard Bangladesh Medal Award Ceremony held on the occasion of BGB Day 2024 at the BGB Headquarters in Pilkhana in the capital.聽
The commission was formed within seven days since Jahangir on December 17 hinted about formation of a probe committee to reinvestigate the BDR carnage to ensure justice.
Earlier on December 15, deputy attorney general Tanim Khan informed a High Court bench that formation of a commission on the BDR carnage would be conflicting, citing two pending cases regarding the incident.
On February 25鈥�26, 2009, in a mutiny 57 military officers, the chief of the BDR, Major General Shakil Ahmed among them, and 17 civilians were killed at the then BDR headquarters, Pilkhana, in Dhaka city.
A home ministry press release issued on Monday, referred the home adviser, saying that the commission would be led by former BGB director general ALM. Fazlur Rahman and would have two armed forces officials, one civil servant, one police official and two teachers, one each from Dhaka University and Jagannath University,
Following the news of the formation of the commission, family members of the victims visited Prabashi Kalyan Bhaban, the office of law adviser Asif Nazrul, who is also the adviser to the expatriates鈥� welfare and overseas employment ministry.
On December 19, families of 22 BDR carnage victims filed a complaint with the International Crimes Tribunal chief prosecutor, accusing deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her defence adviser Tarique Ahmed Siddique, former army chief Moneen U Ahmed and 55 others of crimes against humanity and genocide.
At a media briefing following the families鈥� meeting with the law adviser, retired Brigadier General Hasan Nasir expressed appreciation over forming the investigation commission but stressed the need to avoid repeating the mistakes of earlier investigations.
鈥楴ot only the victim families, but citizens also want to know the plotters behind the carnage, the financiers and their collaborators who aided and abetted the plotters to flee the country and obstructed a proper investigation and trial process,鈥� he said.
Hasan Nasir alleged that he was forced into retirement after he voiced dissent during the proceedings of the previous investigation.
鈥榃e suspect that many military officers were spared from the investigation. Without their support, BDR soldiers could not have executed such a gruesome killing mission,鈥� he added. Hasan emphasised the importance of holding those military officers responsible for the carnage accountable and granting bail to innocent BDR soldiers to ensure justice.
Among the delegates, former BDR chief Major General Shakil Ahmed鈥檚 son Rakin Ahmed was also present at the briefing. He said, 鈥榃e are not confident about the home affairs ministry. However, we will closely observe the activities of the commission.鈥�
Earlier on August 17, Rakin, accusing the ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, said, 鈥榝ormer prime minister is directly involved in this. There are many call records and instructions that we have heard. Ask the journalists to release those. This was done with the help of foreigners.鈥�
Lawyer Sakib Rahman, the son of martyred Colonel Qudrat Elahi, stated that the families of the martyred officers believed the entire nation expected a thorough investigation into the BDR carnage.
Law adviser Asif Nazrul did not attend the post-meeting media briefing.
