Pilkhana Mutiny Trial Continues
Accused quiz 2 witnesses
As a BDR special court continued trial proceedings at the Darbar Hall of Pilkhana, 49 border guards, accused of mutiny, yesterday cross-examined two witnesses -- Lt Col Asif Abdur Rouf and Sepoy Farid Afrad.
The court allowed the accused to quiz the witnesses about the particular allegation against them. After the quizzing, the accused claimed themselves innocent while the witnesses claimed that what they said was true.
Sepoy Farid gave his deposition before the Special Court-11 holding trial of 667 suspected mutineers of 24 Rifle Battalion of Pilkhana.
The witness blamed the accused of consulting them near the No 1 Sainik Line of the battalion after the disorder broke out at Darbar Hall on February 25 last year.
He also blamed some accused riding on a pick-up van were giving provocative speech like 'the army entered Pilkhana through gate no 5 and killing BDR jawans, so all go to armoury, take firearms and launch an attack on the army'.
The witness screened video footage and photograph of some accused during his deposition.
After his deliberation, the accused started cross-examining the witness with the first being Gofran Mallick, the prime accused of the case.
When it was the turn of accused Sepoy Rahim, the court asked prosecutor of the case Lt Col Shamsur Rahman to screen the video footage again where Rahim was found standing behind the home minister wearing helmet and bullet proof vest during the surrender of arms.
The court asked whether the photograph shown in the footage is him, Rahim replied in the negative.
Minutes later when Rahim requested the court to ask witness Farid to say exactly from when he knows him (Rahim), the court said, “You denied your own photo, I did not compel you to tell it is yours. I cannot compel him.”
Earlier in the day, 24 cross-examined another witness Lt Col Asif Ahmed Rouf who gave his deposition on Tuesday.
The proceedings the court headed by BDR Director General Maj Gen Md Rafiqul Islam were adjourned till 9:30am today.
All the 667 accused in the mutiny case were produced before the court.
A total of 74 people, including 57 army officers deputed to the border force, were killed during the February 25-26 carnage.
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