Dhaka//

Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Sheikh Salim and Sheikh Fazle Noor Tapas were directly involved in the killings in Pilkhana during the BDR rebellion, claimed Rakin Ahmed, the son of the deceased Major Shakeel.

He said this at a press conference organized at Rawa Bhavan in Mohakhali on Saturday (August 17) afternoon.

Within 50 days of the formation of the Awami League government under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, on February 25 and 26, 2009, a rebellion was organized by a group of the then BDRs in Pilkhana, Dhaka.

Rebel BDR troops captured the BDR headquarters in Pilkhana and killed BDR Director General Major General Shakeel Ahmed, 57 other army officers and 17 civilians. They opened fire on civilians, took many officers and their families hostage, vandalized buildings and property and looted valuables. Later, after several negotiations with the government, the rebels surrendered their weapons and released the hostages. The revolt was later ended by the surrender of arms.

On November 5, 2013, the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Court sentenced 152 to death and 161 to life imprisonment; Another 25 received prison terms ranging from three to ten years for their involvement in the rebellion. The court also acquitted 277 accused.

Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Dhaka South City Mayor Fazle Noor Tapas and many others were directly involved in the murder 15 years ago, it was claimed in a press conference organized at Rawa Club in Mohakhali of the capital.

In the press conference, Rakin Ahmed, the son of the deceased Major Shakeel, claimed, “Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Fazle Noor Tapas and Sheikh Salim are directly involved in the Pilkhana murder.” There’s also more behind the scenes. When the independent investigation commission is formed, their names will also come.

Advocate Sakibur, son of slain army officer Colonel Shafiq, said that Lt. Gen. Jahangir Alam was in the investigation committee of the BDR murder as quartermaster general at that time. The report released after three revisions was released to the media. He demanded to release the ‘raw’ copy of that report. At that time, the families of the deceased requested everyone to call BDR massacre instead of BDR rebellion on 25th February.

The family members of the deceased said, ‘India is behind this murder. Also, the rumors of a dispute over pulses and rice in the murder case are not true. Such words were propagated to take this murder in a different direction.