APN News

BDR mutiny trial starts

In Bangladesh, a Dhaka court today began the trial process in the criminal cases filed against 824 people comprising BDR personnel and civilians for their involvement in the February 2009 mutiny on charges of murder, looting, arson, possession of arms and explosives.

The court of Metropolitan Sessions Judge Zahirul Haque began the trial proceedings in the cases in a specially set up makeshift court complex, based on the CID’s report submitted in July last year against 800 BDR Jawans and 24 civilians. 801 persons out of the total 824 accused were produced before the court today amidst tight security. Twenty one of the accused are absconding and two have died since the filing of the case.

After beginning the trial in the morning the court took into cognisance the charges brought against the accused and adjourned the hearing to February 3rd after dismissing the bail petitions submitted by some of the accused.

In addition to this trial on criminal charges by a civilian court, BDR special courts are already in the process of conducting the trial of BDR personnel on mutiny charges over the last one year and judgments have also been pronounced in several cases.

The maximum punishment for mutiny under the BDR act is seven years imprisonment while those accused in the criminal case may face a maximum punishment of death penalty if found guilty. The nearly 30 hour long mutiny in February 2009 left 74 people dead which included 57 army officers.

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