Pilkhana Carnage

PW submits 11 seized arms to court as sample

11 December 2011, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

A prosecution witness of Pilkhana carnage case yesterday submitted before a Dhaka court three kinds of firearms that were seized after the gruesome mutiny on February 25-26, 2009. Commanding officer of 36 Border Guard Battalion Maj Sujaul Haq told the Metropolitan Session Judge's court that 11 firearms including, rifle, submachine gun and pistol, of the battalion were handed over to him after the mutiny. The two-day mayhem at the headquarters of the erstwhile BDR killed 74 people including 57 top and mid-ranking army officers. In his deposition against nine accused, Maj Sujaul, however, did not specify whether the accused used the seized weapons. “I'm submitting the weapons as a sample”, said Maj Sujaul, the 11th prosecution witness. Sujaul also narrated how he took shelter at the quarters of Nayek Subeder Shah Alam at Jamuna-4 on February 25, the first day of the carnage. On his way to the Alam's place, which was at the North of the Darbar Hall, he saw about 25 unruly armed jawans opening fire as they ran towards the hall. He hid himself behind a Rain Tree inside Pilkhana from where he identified seven soldiers of 36 rifle battalion. Leaving his uniform, he wore plainclothes to avoid being caught by the mutineers and remained in hiding at Alam's quarters for some 34 hours, he told the court. Sensing danger, Shah Alam asked him over the phone to leave immediately around 4:30pm on February 26. Sujaul then fled Pilkhana by jumping over the wall and went to his Gulshan residence. On completion of his deposition, defence counsels started cross-examining him, which will resume when the court opens today. Maj Shah Alam, the 12th prosecution witness, will submit is deposition today. During yesterday's proceeding, Sumon Sagar, an accused civilian, sought bail pleading guilty. But the court refused to accept his plea, citing he did not plead guilty when the court asked him to do so earlier. However, the court said he would get a chance after taking of deposition and cross-examination end. Deposition in the case began on August 24 this year. So far, 11 out of around 1,200 prosecution witnesses placed their depositions. A total of 824 BDR jawans and 23 civilians are being tried for crimes other than the mutiny. They face charges of killing, looting, theft and arson, among others.