| From the 25th of February, disturbing news started | | | | Islami (HUJI). Differing to the Indian side story, |
| coming in from Bangladesh. The Pilkhana headquarters | | | | conspiracy theories were floated within Bangladesh |
| of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) in Dhaka was seized by a | | | | which claimed that India's external intelligence agency |
| mutiny and at least sixty-four army officers along | | | | RAW was involved to revenge the death of nineteen |
| with seven non-army personals including women and | | | | of their Border Security Force (BSF) personals killed |
| children were massacred by the mutineers. The dead | | | | by the BDR at Padua of Sylhet and Boraibari of |
| includes the BDR chief Major General Shakil Ahmed | | | | Roumary in 2001. The name of Britain based Islamist |
| and other high ranking officers. The killings mainly | | | | organization Hizb-ut-Tahrir also popped up which for |
| happened in the 'Darbar Hall' inside the BDR premise | | | | the last couple of years is known to reckon |
| during the annual gathering of BDR commanders and | | | | Bangladesh as its area of interest. |
| according to the few survivors most of the killings | | | | Was it really a deliberate and well crafted attempt to |
| were done between 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on the first | | | | incite the army to apply force, take over power and |
| day. After killing the senior officers, the mutineers | | | | subsequently destabilize the new democratically |
| stormed the residential officer's quarters, attacked | | | | elected government? Questions were asked why the |
| and dragged out the family members and set the | | | | mutineers had brutally killed the officers and their |
| quarters on fire. Gold ornaments, jewelries and | | | | family members instead of following the usual |
| money were looted. The dead bodies were disfigured | | | | method to accomplish their demands by holding the |
| with bayonets and later dumped into nearby sewers | | | | army officers as hostages. The modus operandi of |
| and mass graves inside the BDR compound. The full | | | | the uprising and latest developments emerging from |
| horror of the mutiny became evident when bodies of | | | | the investigation is supporting this speculation. |
| the slain officers including the wife of the Director | | | | Investigators have started gathering evidences which |
| General were recovered. The mutiny was also | | | | are contrary to the initial perception that the uprising |
| reported to have spread to twelve border districts | | | | stemmed out of grievances. The perpetrators might |
| of the country including Dinajpur, Chittagong, Rajshahi | | | | have exploited the deprived feelings of the common |
| and Naugaon. | | | | BDR men and motivated a section of them in the |
| Intense rumors of an imminent army take-over soon | | | | heinous act. Latest revelation from the investigation |
| spread out like wildfire all over Bangladesh. But | | | | hints about the presence of uniformed outsiders |
| according to media report, the army chief Moin | | | | during the massacre. BDR soldiers who had fled |
| Ahmed assured Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by | | | | Pilkhana through the back doors and now reporting |
| saying that "Rumors are swirling... but the army | | | | back are claiming that masked soldiers brandishing |
| belongs to you." His force remained loyal to the | | | | guns and firing blank shots forced them to join the |
| civilian government which took over power just in | | | | revolt. Whatever might be the truth, one thing is |
| December last year after a landslide victory in the | | | | certain. The evolving events do suggest that Hasina's |
| general elections. This assurance reinforced the | | | | government is fronting an extremely intricate |
| government to deal with the situation with firm | | | | problem to deal with. It has to move cautiously |
| resolve. It was Hasina's insistence for a political | | | | otherwise the ramification could turn disastrous. |
| solution of the crisis that the army kept itself away | | | | Sheikh Hasina's well-known pro-India stand has |
| from any direct confrontation with the mutineers. | | | | caused enough displeasure to the pro-Pakistan |
| Sheikh Hasina herself met fourteen representative | | | | elements of Bangladesh. Fingers of suspicion are been |
| leaders of the BDR rebels and after discussing their | | | | pointed towards the fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami, |
| grievances initially announced to grant them amnesty. | | | | their extensive network of grassroot organizations |
| Various leaders and ministers including the Home | | | | and the former Razakar and Al-Badars - who has |
| Minister Sahara Khatun were busy throughout the | | | | regrouped within the Jamaat fold. These are the |
| night to keep dialogues between the government | | | | atrocious elements that had collaborated with the |
| and rebel soldiers open. In a daring act, Ms. Khatun | | | | Pakistan Army during the nine months long |
| and State Minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak entered the | | | | Bangladesh's Mukti Juddho (liberation war) and staged |
| BDR premise at midnight and rescued an injured | | | | the mass genocide of millions of their own people and |
| officer and forty family members who were held | | | | enforced million others to flee to neighboring India as |
| hostage by the rebels. However, when all sorts of | | | | refugees. After Mujibur Rahman was assassinated, |
| negotiation failed to make the mutineers to | | | | Zia Ur Rahman helped to resettle these Islamist |
| surrender, the government strategically started | | | | collaborators in Bangladesh politics. He legalized |
| mobilizing the Army on the second day. Eleven tanks | | | | Jamaat-e-Islami as a political party, allowed them to |
| moved in to encircle the Pilkhana complex; people | | | | carry on with their vicious socio-political activities and |
| living near the BDR headquarters were evacuated. | | | | had also permitted Jamaat leader Golam Azam to |
| Hasina addressed the nation in a televised statement | | | | return to Bangladesh from his exile. Azam's citizenship |
| and appealed to the troops to surrender the arms. | | | | was previously nullified by Mujibur Rahman for his |
| Finally, on 26th of February between 4:30 to 6:00 | | | | resolute opposition to creation of Bangladesh. After |
| p.m. the unnerved rebels surrendered by laying down | | | | the resettlement, Jamaat-e-Islami continued to |
| their arms. By then, many of the rebel soldiers had | | | | flourish and strengthened their base at the time of |
| fled their posts. Two hundred mutineers were | | | | General Hossain Mohammad Ershad's regime in areas |
| arrested while trying to escape in civilian outfits. The | | | | like Chittagong, Sylhet and Rajshahi and steadily |
| police started a massive manhunt 'Operation Rebel | | | | became politically important in Bangladesh. Jamaat |
| Hunt' throughout the country to capture the fugitive | | | | allied with Zia Ur Rahman's wife Khaleda Zia's |
| masterminds of the revolt and soon arrested BDR's | | | | Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), lead a four-party |
| Deputy Assistant Director Touhidul Alam and four | | | | coalition government during 2001-2006 and held two |
| other suspects. According to an official estimate, | | | | Ministries in the government. There is little doubt that |
| about two thousand suspected mutineers are still | | | | Jamaat-e-Islami has a sizeable presence in the |
| absconding. The government later clarified that the | | | | country's rural areas and their fanatic Mullahs has |
| general amnesty announced by Sheikh Hasina will not | | | | infested enough Pan-Islamic religious extremism and |
| be applicable for the masterminds who was directly | | | | hatred among the illiterate and poor populace. The |
| involved with the planning and killings. | | | | BDR rank and file is drawn mainly from these |
| Formerly known as East Pakistan Rifles, BDR is | | | | economically backward and poor rural belts. |
| presently a 67,000-strong paramilitary force deployed | | | | These elements are infuriated and deeply worried |
| to guard the 4,427 kilometer long Bangladesh | | | | about Hasina's plans to set up a war-crimes tribunal |
| boarders with India and Myanmar with additional | | | | to put on trial the collaborators of West Pakistani |
| anti-smuggling operational charge. The force revolted | | | | army. In the second week of February, Pakistan |
| in 1971 against the West Pakistan army by joining the | | | | President Asif Ali Zardari had sent his special envoy |
| Bangladesh liberation war. After the emergence of | | | | to Dhaka and pressurized the Bangladesh |
| Bangladesh the force was renamed as Bangladesh | | | | government to retract from the trial which the |
| Rifles and emerged as the new country's leading | | | | government immediately turned down. By pulling the |
| paramilitary force. BDR administration is mostly | | | | ear, the head comes along - besides a number of |
| controlled by officers from the Bangladesh Army. | | | | Jamaat leaders, some of the bigwigs of Khaleda Zia's |
| Rebel leaders speaking to private television channels | | | | BNP could also be in genuine trouble if the |
| affirmed that the mutiny was directed primarily | | | | government goes ahead with the trial. Hasina has also |
| against the corruption of their officers who came | | | | announced that she will not allow Bangladesh's soil to |
| from the army. According to them, the other central | | | | be used as a haven for terrorist activities. Her |
| reasons of the uprising were the disparity of pay, | | | | government has promised to eliminate terrorist |
| benefits, working conditions and promotional | | | | camps in Bangladesh and to restrain ISI operations |
| opportunities as compared to their army | | | | from Bangladesh territory. All these factors are |
| counterparts. Their 22-point demand includes | | | | enough to incite rage and enmity among co-religionist |
| withdrawal of army officers from the command | | | | and Pan-Islamic elements against the present |
| structure of BDR. The mutineers were initially | | | | government and army leadership. From their |
| successful to represent the uprising as a class conflict | | | | extremist inspiration these elements apparently might |
| between exploitive officers and exploited soldiers and | | | | have tried to send a warning to the government that |
| accused the officers as abusive and utterly | | | | it should restrain implementing their agenda. |
| insensitive towards the woes of ordinary soldiers. | | | | Historically, Bangladesh's political style has always |
| They claimed that their long-standing grievances | | | | been marked by its confrontational nature. This style |
| were repeatedly raised before the authorities but all | | | | of politics was introduced during the liberation |
| fell on deaf ears. Unofficial reports suggested that | | | | movement when the political class, bureaucrats, |
| BDR Director General had promised to discuss their | | | | army, students, elites and intellectuals became divided |
| grievances with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina but failed | | | | either into pro-liberation or pro-Pakistan camps. This |
| to keep his promise when Hasina visited the barracks | | | | hate-inspired division has eventually created a gravely |
| on 24 February to inaugurate the BDR week events. | | | | corrupt political system and weak institutions. This |
| The uprising might be partly impulsive though there | | | | sense of hatred has been aggravated by |
| are ample reasons to suggest that there could be a | | | | centralization of power in the hands of the executive |
| 'deep-rooted conspiracy' behind it. | | | | class. Taking advantage of the chaotic state of |
| Since Bangladesh was born in 1971 there were | | | | Bangladesh politics that prevailed following the |
| several big and small coup attempts in the country. | | | | assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the army |
| The country's history of army coups started in 1975 | | | | directly got involved into the political sphere to play |
| when Sheikh Hasina's father, the country's iconic | | | | the role of the savior, fingered external relations and |
| founder president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was brutally | | | | consequently demolished the democratic values. The |
| assassinated along with his wife and three sons by | | | | subsistence of successive post-Mujib regimes heavily |
| junior officers of Bangladesh army. Given its history | | | | depended on the army support. The present army |
| of coups and counter coups, the first thing that | | | | leadership appears to be committed for democratic |
| obviously appeared in the mind from the uprising was | | | | values and is free from Islamist bias. This is a positive |
| that the country was heading for another coup. The | | | | sign for Bangladesh's future in contrast to the |
| present army leadership's credible pro-democracy | | | | lopsided role the army has opted so far. |
| stance has negated this proposition. The cross-border | | | | Bangladesh is still one of the poorest countries in the |
| theory of a 'bigger conspiracy' involving Pakistan's | | | | world. Concentrating on the precarious economic |
| Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) which has strong | | | | situation is therefore the utmost job of the new |
| pockets of influence in the BDR came next. It | | | | government. Sanitizing a corrupt political system and |
| suggested that the violence was the handiwork of | | | | standing firm against rampant corruption in the high |
| the ISI, aimed to spoil growing ties between Sheikh | | | | offices is also another major objective to attain. It |
| Hasina's government and India. The ISI also wanted | | | | also needs to carefully address the menace of |
| to signal India about its capability to stall New Delhi's | | | | religious fundamentalist elements in its society. |
| growing influence in Bangladesh. Indian media came up | | | | Whether in Bangladesh, India or Pakistan, the face of |
| with the story of Salauddin Qadeer Chowdhury, a | | | | religious fundamentalism is common. It is always |
| senior Bangladeshi businessman and BNP politician. | | | | autocratic, brutal and driven primarily by hatred. In a |
| Involving Chowdhury with the conspiracy for having | | | | society where most of the people are illiterate and |
| close links with the ISI, the media reports also stated | | | | miserably trapped in poverty and religious |
| that the original planning was hatched in Pakistan and | | | | inducement, the incidence of the BRD mutiny will |
| then passed on to radical Islamist organizations | | | | remain a matter of deep concern. |
| operating in Bangladesh like the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al | | | | |