Mass grave dug at gunpoint
BDR witness tells court
A sepoy of erstwhile Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), in his deposition before a court yesterday, described the way a mass grave was dug for 40 to 45 dead army officers in the early hours of February 26, 2009.
The mutineers forced sepoy Golam Kibria and other BDR jawans at gunpoint to help dig the grave behind the BDR hospital.
“I was trying to escape Pilkhana by crossing the boundary around 12:30am but armed mutineers were on patrol,” Kibria said. A rebel jawan saw and asked him to join the 36 rifle battalion barrack.
“I went there and saw some jawans of RSU (Rifles Security Unit). Nayek subedar Torab Ali of BDR hospital unit and subedar Yousuf of RSU led us to the back of the BDR hospital beside the oxidation plant of the mortuary,” said Kibria.
He recognised some of the mutineers of RSU who, alongside other jawans, were digging the grave with shovels.
“Torab Ali told me to dig. I told him that I was injured while trying to leave Darbar Hall (where the mutiny erupted) in the morning. I sat there but the others began digging”, he said.
When the digging ended around 4:30am, 40 to 45 bodies arrived on two trucks and a pick-up van and were dumped inside the grave, he said.
Kibria was later cross-examined by the defence lawyers. Earlier, another prosecution witness, Nayeb Subedar Moniruzzaman, who had earlier given his deposition, was also cross-examined by the defence.
The Metropolitan Session Judges Court, set up at the Alia Madrasa playground of the city's Bakshibazar, will resume on February 20 with the deposition of Havildar Babul Mia.
A total 74 people, including 57 army officers, were killed during the two-day carnage at BDR's, now Border Guard Bangladesh, Pilkhana headquarters.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments