Disturbing developments around BDR probe
YET another soldier of the Bangladesh Rifles died on Thursday in questionable circumstances. According to the official statement, Havilder Kazi Saidur Rahman of 13 Rifles Battalion was admitted to the BDR hospital early in the morning when he complained of chest pain but, as his condition deteriorated, he was referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where on-duty doctors declared him dead on arrival. The BDR director general was quoted in a leading newspaper as saying Saidur 'died of heart attack'. However, the relatives of the deceased alleged that he died because of torture and that several injury marks had been found on his legs and knees. It is disquieting that not only have 12 soldiers died since the February 25-26 rebellion at the BDR headquarters but also the authorities have sought to explain away almost all the deaths in a similar fashion.
The deaths of so many BDR soldiers under questionable circumstances may have already started to crystallise the suspicion that, in the name of investigation of the rebellion, a vendetta campaign may be in progress. While there should be no doubt in anyone's mind that the perpetrators of the BDR carnage, in which so many army officers were killed, should be investigated, prosecuted and punished, it should also be borne in mind that the hunt for the killers must not degenerate into vigilantism.
Disturbingly still, there is also growing concern, especially among army officers and BDR jawans who were not involved with the BDR tragedy, that a plot may be on to derail the investigations and tamper with the findings of the ongoing inquests. Apprehension is also there that the findings of the investigations might not be properly reflected in the reports of the probe committees due in less than a month. Should such apprehension be even perceived to have come true, the consequence could be dangerous for our nation state.
Regrettably, the government has thus far sought to create the impression in the public mind that it has successfully dealt with the BDR crisis. Making the rebellious BDR soldiers put down their arms was only the beginning of the resolution of the crisis. What is equally, if not more, important is to determine the cause and context of the rebellion and the concomitant carnage, identify the perpetrators and the masterminds, and look for any link with external factors, both within and beyond our borders. Importantly still, the government needs to act according to the findings of — and recommendations by — the investigations so as to pre-empt such an incident in the future. Till then, the BDR chapter is anything but closed.
We fear the authorities concerned may have failed to fathom the seriousness of the issue at hand. They need to realise that the February 25-26 rebellion at the BDR headquarters has touched off tension and induced a mutual mistrust between the army, the protectors of our national territory, and the BDR, the sentinels of our national border. Such a strained relationship between the two institutions of the state would require credible investigations of the rebellion and transparent prosecution of the perpetrators, both in reality and in perception, to be mended. Also, the government needs to initiate proactive measures to restore and enhance mutual confidence between these two institutions.
Hence, the government needs to expedite the investigation process and ensure its credible conclusion. It needs also to probe the deaths of so many BDR soldiers under questionable circumstances since the rebellion. At no point should the investigations be even perceived to be biased towards one party over the other. Otherwise, the fallout could prove disastrous for the entire nation.
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