Mockery with Pilkhana tragedy families
by Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina repeatedly said that the land of the residence, vacated by the leader of the opposition, Begum Khaleda Zia, will be used for construction of multi-storied residential buildings, where, families of victims of the February Massacre or Pilkhana Tragedy will be provided apartments. The Prime Minister and the ruling Bangladesh Awami League were repeating this statement everywhere.
But, finally the cat is out of bag! Though the leader of the opposition was visibly evicted from her residence few months back, and construction of multi-stories building started immediately under the supervision of military engineering wing, it is reported by a vernacular daily in Dhaka that, none of the members of the February Massacre or Pilkhana Tragedy will get any apartment in the buildings, which are under construction now over that land. According to the report, the government will allocate 104 'D' category apartments to 'Major' ranked army officers. It has also been said that, the decision came due to shortage of accommodations of the Majors inside Dhaka Cantonment.
There is no debate on construction newer residential buildings for the Majors or officers of any other ranks in the Bangladesh Army. If there is shortage, the government and the army should surely take necessary steps in resolving the residential problems. But, why the land, which was supposed to house only the victims of the February Massacre or Pilkhana Tragedy? How the Prime Minister and her entire team will now retreat from what they have been claiming for months? Was it just political stunt of the government and the ruling party? If it was just a political stunt, and I am by now convinced that it was, as a citizen of the country, I can always ask a straight question to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as to why she opted for just senseless and huge mockery with the victim families of the February massacre? Being a leader and a mother and a human being, she should now ask her own conscious if what she has already done was right or wrong.
Let me give a brief description on February Massacre or Pilkhana Tragedy to my readers, who might have never heard of this incident. On February 25, 2009, just a month after the Bangladesh Awami League formed government, anti-army revolt broke out inside the Head Quarters of Bangladesh Riffles [now Bangladesh Border Guards]. At least 73 army officers were brutally murdered during this 'mutiny', while a large number of family members of the army officers were humiliated, assaulted and violated by the renegades. Right after the incident, a number of officers expressed their anger in presence of the Prime Minister at the Sena Kunja meeting. They demanded neutral and prompt investigation as well punishment of the culprits.
Government did not allow the members of armed forces and other law enforcing agencies to storm into the Bangladesh Riffles headquarters to rescue the army officers and their family members who were made hostage inside the headquarters of the border security guard by the renegade troops. Instead of allowing army crackdown, the government opted for 'political settlement' of the situation and sent two of the junior leaders of the ruling party to negotiate with the mutineers. In the name of political negotiation, these junior leaders and later many other figures in the government spent almost 32 hours, thus giving opportunity to the mutineers in killing almost all the army officers who were held hostage inside the headquarters of the border security force and violated large number of female members of their families who were also held inside the BDR headquarters.
Right after the bloody massacre at Bangladesh Riffles headquarters in Dhaka, a number of responsible ministers and leaders of the present government started making wild comments on anticipation terming Islamists as well as other elements liable for this tragic incident. But, champion of all in making statements were none but the one and only FARUK KHAN, the grand gala flop minister in the present government in Bangladesh. It is even rumoured that, Faruk manages to continue as the minister despite series of failures because of his extra ordinary connection with someone in Florida. Whatever the fact may be, Faruk Khan made series of comments on the Pilkhana Massacre as well as probe report. It was even reported in the press that he was chosen as the top man to coordinate the 3 probe committees.
Many believe that the Pilkhana Massacre was pre set by anti-Bangladesh elements with a blue print of damaging Bangladesh's border security forces, with the aim of turning Bangladesh ultimately into a sub-servient like some small nations in the region.
It was also reported in the media that, former army chief, General Moeen U Ahmed was reluctant in moving army towards the spot of massacre, by unnecessarily killing time. If this is a fact, surely, General [Retired] Moeen should be immediately brought under Court Martial. Not only Moeen, but anyone, be it a military man or a politician or a mighty members of any 'Untouchable Family' in Bangladesh, none should be spared, who might have minimum hands behind the tragic massacre, and subsequent brutal murder of the army officers.
General Moeen U Ahmed is not only accused of indirectly abetting the murder of army officers and humiliation of their family members inside Pilkhana during February 25-26, 2009, he [Moeen] is also accused of violating the Army Code by giving anti-democracy statements during the period of military controlled interim regime. He also is accused of cashing millions of dollars through a business enterprise owned by his elder brother, taking the advantage of extra-ordinary situation created during the military controlled interim government's tenure.
Officials of Bangladesh Army described the 'mutiny' as the biggest massacre of defense commanders anywhere in the world, saying the impoverished South Asian nation's powerful military will need quite a long time to recover from such tremendous loss. Brigadier-General Mahmud Hossain, Director of Military Intelligence told reporters that, Bangladesh Army was ready to storm the headquarters of the BDR here soon after the mutiny erupted, but heeded to Premier Sheikh Hasina's advice at the last minute to resolve the issue politically.
Bangladeshis were in the awe of huge shock to witness the brutal murder of the heroic officers of Bangladesh Army during the February Massacre. The entire nation [except those conspirators and culprits, who were behind this massacre] left tears for the martyrs as well members of the families of the army officers. No one has any right to play political game with this extremely sensitive issue. The current government has already played the nastiest trick while evicting the leader of the opposition from her residence, by using the sentiment of Pilkhana Massacre victims and their families.
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