The National Independent Commission investigating the brutal killings during the 2009 BDR mutiny has submitted its report to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, identifying the Awami League as collectively involved and then-MP Fazle Noor Taposh as the main coordinator.
The report was handed over at the State Guest House Jamuna on Sunday by the commission’s chief, Major General (Retd.) A. L. M. Fazlur Rahman, along with members including Major General (Retd.) Mohammad Jahangir Kabir Talukdar, Brigadier General (Retd.) Mohammad Saidur Rahman Bir Protik, Munshi Alauddin Al Azad (Retd.), Dr. M. Akbar Ali (Retd.), and academics from Dhaka and Jagannath universities.
Chief Adviser Yunus praised the commission’s work, saying it shed light on a long-hidden tragedy and would serve as a valuable resource for the nation.
Fazlur Rahman said the investigation was conducted with utmost professionalism, despite many evidences being destroyed and key individuals leaving the country. “We interviewed witnesses, some for up to eight hours, and reviewed all available reports and materials,” he said.
The commission found that external forces were directly involved in the killings and that the then-ruling Awami League played a direct role. Talukdar added that the massacre was premeditated, with Taposh serving as the main coordinator, and that local Awami League members helped protect those involved. “A procession of 20–25 people entered Pilkhana and left with over 200 participants,” he said.
The report further states that the then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s ‘green signal’ was in place for the incident and that responsibility spans from the government leadership to the army chief. Investigators also noted severe failures by police, RAB, intelligence agencies, and some media outlets.
The commission recommended measures to prevent future incidents and ensure justice for victims. The submission ceremony was attended by National Security Adviser Dr. Khalilur Rahman, retired Lt. Gen. Abdul Hafiz, and Home Secretary Nasimul Gani.
Sixteen years ago, on February 25 and 26, 2009, 57 army officers, including the then-director general of the BDR, Major General Shakil Ahmed, were brutally murdered in a mysterious mutiny at the headquarters of the then-Bangladesh Rifles (now Border Guard Bangladesh-BGB) in Pilkhana, Dhaka.
In total, 74 bodies were recovered from the incident.
Lawyers said that the trial of 834 defendants in a case filed under the Explosives Act, in connection with the killings at the BDR headquarters in Pilkhana, began in 2010.
The 17th Attorney General of Bangladesh, Md Asaduzzaman, claimed that the Pilkhana massacre was part of an international conspiracy to keep the Awami League in power and establish hegemonic control over Bangladesh.
He said: “This was not a rebellion; it was a planned murder. We lost the nation’s brightest sons in the Pilkhana massacre, which struck at the foundation of Bangladesh’s sovereignty. The Awami League government created a grave for Bangladesh by orchestrating the killing of 57 army officers, leading to widespread anarchy.”
What exactly happened on Feb 25
The annual Darbar (assembly) started amid heightened security at the Pilkhana headquarters at around 9am, with 2,560 BDR personnel present there.
On the stage of the Darbar Hall were the then BDR chief, Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed, and other senior army officers deputed to the force.
According to the chargesheet and depositions, a team of disgruntled Jawans (BDR members) entered the Pilkhana weaponry and looted arms and ammunition from there, taking hostage a major who was in charge of the facility.
Witnesses said other BDR members stationed at the weaponry did not stop the looting.
As the BDR chief was addressing the event at the Darbar Hall, sepoys Moin Uddin and Kajol entered the stage at 9:26pm. Moin was armed and leading Kajol. Once there, Moin pointed his firearm at Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed.
Brig Gen MA Bari instantly pushed Moin to the ground and took away his firearm.
All of a sudden, a group of agitating BDR men started chaos, placing several demands at the event.
Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed repeatedly asked them to calm down but to no avail. He also ordered other senior BDR officers to control their respective unit members but to no avail. He promised that he would listen to their demands and asked them not to leave the Darbar Hall.
Right then, a voice screamed: “Jago” [wake up].
Soon afterwards, sepoy Selim Reza led a BDR team into the Darbar Hall and the situation immediately went out of the hands of the force’s high command.
Gunshots were heard from outside the venue, which the revolting BDR members covering their faces in masks besieged in no time.
They opened fire killing some officers inside the hall. At around 10:30pm, they asked others, including Shakil, to go outside in queues and then killed them. In the mutiny, many members of the BDR officials’ families were also killed.
The mutineers also ransacked and looted the officers’ houses and set fire to vehicles.
As the news broke, personnel of the army set off for the venue with heavy weapons and armoured vehicles from Savar and Dhaka cantonments.
By 11am, the army took position at Dhanmondi and the Nilkhet intersection. Artillery guns and armoured vehicles were placed near the BDR Gates No one and five, among other major points adjoining the Pilkhana headquarters.
Sensing their presence, the mutineers started firing, targeting them at the main entrance and Gate No three of the BDR headquarters.
Leaflets were dropped from a helicopter to the agitating BDR members at around 12:15pm, urging them to surrender.
However, the rebels fired at the helicopter and using a loudspeaker they demanded that the prime minister and the home minister meet them at the Pilkhana headquarters.
On the premier’s behalf, the then Jubo League chairman Jahangir Kabir Nanak and whip Mirza Azam appeared at Pilkhana’s Gate No 4 at around 1:30pm.
They arranged a meeting between the prime minister and a delegation of the mutineers.
Deputy assistant directors (DAD) Touhid, Nasir Uddin Khan, Mirza Habibur Rahman, Abdur Rahim and Jalil as well as sepoy Selim Reza among others were leading the revolt.
A 14-member delegation headed by DAD Touhid met the prime minister at the state guest house Jamuna at around 3:30pm.
Nanak told reporters at 6pm that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had declared a general pardon for the revolting BDR men and pledged to meet their demands in phases.
She, Nanak said, also asked them to surrender weapons and return to their respective barracks.
An hour later, the Jawans demanded a gazette to be published in this regard. They again started chaos at the Pilkhana headquarters, snapping the power supply and burying the corpses of the army personnel they had killed.
Developments on Feb 26
Beginning in the morning, the number of BDR personnel started to decline at the Pilkhana headquarters. Many fled the venue in civil dress as they were losing their grip there.
At one stage, BDR members led by DAD Touhid promised to surrender. Later in the night, they surrendered to the then-home minister Shahara Khatun.
After that, the police took over the BDR headquarters as the 33-hour rebellion came to an end.
Killings revealed
Mass graves were found inside the headquarters on February 27. The bodies of Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed, his wife and other army officers were found buried there.
A huge cache of arms, ammunition and grenades were recovered from the scene.
When the plot was crafted
The mutineers started planning the rebellion well ahead of the annual Darbar. Even intelligence agencies could not sense that.
They had been demanding appointment of their own officers under a system such as the BCS cadre, an increase of border allowance, 100% ration allowance, sending them to the UN missions, the restructuring of their salary structure in a similar model to that of the army.
Besides, the Daal-bhat program, punishment of sepoys, lack of transparency in running BDR shops, luxurious lifestyle of officials, corruption in running the schools, etc, gave rise to questions and discontent among the BDR men.
They pitched the demands to the then-lawmaker Fazle Noor Taposh and others.
Before Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reached the “BDR Week” venue on February 24, a group of BDR men decided to unleash an attack there. With this in mind, they distributed leaflets among fellow BDR members.
They also talked to BNP leader Nasir Uddin Ahmed Pintu on that day near his house. Pintu guided them to BDR Gate No five.
As planned, the BDR rebels led by sepoys Moin and Selim Reza gathered at the Pilkhana headquarters before they finally launched the killing mission.
