Probe intelligence failure: HC

Bangladesh’s High Court has called for investigating the failure of intelligence into the then Bangladesh Rifles in the purview of Pilkhana carnage of 2009.

The call was made in a seven-point recommendation placed forward by Justice Md Nazrul Islam while delivering the death referral and appeal verdicts in the carnage case.

Read more: BDR carnage case: HC confirms death for 139 

His seven recommendations are:

• Prohibiting activities or programmes like Operation Dal-Bhat that belittles the pride and self respect of what is Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members now
• Prohibiting any activity or programme that “gradually degenerates” the soldierly attitude and behaviour of the members of the BGB
• Taking into consideration and deliver fast decision/reply to problems of the BGB men
• Authorities mitigate all the grievances, if any that still remains inside, of the BGB men
• Consider the leave matter of BGB men which are due and solve all problems regarding leave and other matters
• Form a body and launch inquiry into why the intelligence unit of the then Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) failed to deliver information beforehand and disclose the findings

Read more: BDR carnage was to create political crisis: HC

Two other judges of the bench, its leading member Justice Shawkat Hossain and Justice Md Abu Zafor Siddique, agreed with the recommendations placed by Justice Islam.

Seventy-four people, including 57 army officers, were killed during the mutiny on February 25-26 in 2009 at Pilkhana headquarters of the paramilitary force, later renamed Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).

The incident took place in the month right after which the then newly-elected Awami League government took oath into the office.