Bangladesh mutiny case: 139 infantrymen to face gallows

Dhaka, Bangladesh – In what observers possess dubbed Bangladesh’s « most attention-grabbing-ever prison case », 139 mutineers of a defunct paramilitary drive were sent to gallows by the nation’s High Court (HC) on Monday.

Lifestyles sentences for one other 146 folk were moreover upheld by the court within the capital Dhaka. The mass convictions had been criticised by rights groups and the households, who insist the trial became once rife with procedural flaws and torture allegations.

On the very least 57 army officers and 17 civilians were killed throughout a mutiny in 2009 that the three-think HC bench called « the most execrable, brutal and barbaric carnage » in Bangladesh’s history.

For the family of those killed, the verdict looks to possess introduced closure.

Syed Md Ismail Parvez, brother of Predominant Idris Iqbal who became once killed on that day, told Al Jazeera that they « are overjoyed » and prefer « the instantaneous execution of the perpetrators who had killed his brother and others.

« This can now not elevate my brother again. But a minimal of this can also simply let us know that justice is there to retain them liable for what they did. »

But surely one of the major predominant defence lawyers, Aminul Islam, called the verdict « too harsh » and based completely on « flimsy or no proof ». He acknowledged he would charm in opposition to the HC judgement within the Supreme Court.

‘Violation of human rights’

Relatives of many of the convicted paramilitary officers possess raised questions on the impartiality of the trial, whereas rights groups possess termed the total trial job a « violation of human rights ».

On the very least 47 suspects died whereas in police custody throughout the nine-300 and sixty five days interval of the trial.

Nargis Nasir, major other of surely one of the major death row convicts – Nasir Uddin Khan, Deputy Assistant Director of the erstwhile BDR, acknowledged, « It is one thing however a justice for us. »

She acknowledged her husband became once tortured and « compelled to present confessional commentary on the crime that he did now not commit ».

« Since then, for the final nine years, our family is struggling to easily net the reality that an harmless man became once victimised for a crime of which he became once no segment. »

Brad Adams, Asia director of HRW, acknowledged the convictions were got after « unfair trials ».

« We interviewed many those that were badly tortured.… The courts and police must possess investigated this however possess failed to invent so, » he acknowledged.

« We possess always called for the perpetrators to be held responsible, however in quite loads of instances there became once no credible proof in opposition to the particular particular individual charged.

« It is now not acceptable to convict folk for the crimes dedicated by others, or simply on myth of they were within the hideous region at the hideous time. »

A true professional, who wished to live anonymous, acknowledged that the pains doubtlessly weren’t of « international true requirements » and avoided occupied with « appropriate arguments » presented by the defence lawyers.

But Lawyer Classic Mahbubey Alam told Al Jazeera that the HC bench delivered the verdict « after a thorough and cautious investigation.

« Awarding death penalty even to a individual is now not easy one. Right here it became once given to 139 folk, » the executive lawyer acknowledged. « The High Court conception to be every thing earlier than giving that verdict. »

Outdoor forces?

On February 25-26 in 2009, offended individuals of the erstwhile Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), later renamed Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), revolted in opposition to senior officers.

It within the starting up looked as if it would be a pair of disgruntled Jawans (or infantrymen) taking on palms in opposition to the deputed army officers in excessive positions of BDR, for better monetary and dealing instances, however later came upon to be a calculated bloodbath.

Amongst those killed became once the then BDR chief Predominant Classic Shakil Ahmed and his major other. The stays of those massacred were dumped in sewers or buried in shallow graves.

Many theories had been doing the rounds about the character of the mutiny and the precise motives of the alleged perpetrators.

Maybe the most prominent of those theories suggested the involvement of « outside forces ». The HC observations working in about thousand pages acknowledged: « There became once a place both from inside of and external aspects at the again of the BDR carnage, to uproot [Prime Minister] Sheikh Hasina-led executive which got right here into vitality in 2008. »

There is a want for digging deeper to unearth who became once supposed to be the most beneficiary of such carnage.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, opposition leader

Lt Classic (retired) Mainul Islam, who took over as the predominant Director Classic (DG) of the BGB true after the mutiny, on the opposite hand, told Al Jazeera he « had now not came upon any proof » of out of doorways involvement.

According to him, the underlying motive at the again of the mutiny became once the « prevailing discrimination between the military officers deputed in BDR and the BDR Jawans ».

The query that befuddled many throughout that time, besides to now, is why the intelligence unit failed to build up a strategy of what could per chance happen on the morning of February 25, 2009, even supposing there were many suspicious actions that must possess raised crimson flags.

The HC bench, in surely one of its recommendations, had called for investigating the failure of the intelligence unit within the purview of the carnage.

Critics and opposition leaders possess called for an just investigation into the incident.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary popular of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Birthday celebration (BNP) acknowledged the killing of 57 top army officers in this form of transient span of time raises quite loads of doubts.

« And it came about true after a brand recent executive got right here into vitality, » he acknowledged. He acknowledged a probe wants to be conducted to acquire out whether or now not it became once « simply a ploy in opposition to a brand recent executive or in opposition to the total nation.

« There is a want for digging deeper to unearth who became once supposed to be the most beneficiary of such carnage. »