As the bodies were being brought out from the sewer one by one, and as a mass grave was being excavated within the BDR headquarters, the people of Bangladesh, perhaps of the world at large, stood aghast at the extent of the barbarity perpetrated on the officers of our border security forces. As we watched on television the heart rending scenes of distraught families desperately trying to get a last glimpse of the mutilated bodies of their loved ones and others anxiously waiting for some news of those missing, the natural question that came to our mind was, for what "crimes" were these officers meted out such inglorious death? For what unprofessional acts were life snuffed out of them at the height of their career? For what possible action of theirs could a section of BDR jawans murder their officers in such an inhuman and un-soldierly manner? The answer escapes reason, words and logic. However, one thing can be said with certainty, if there were some sympathy for the points raised by the rebellious jawans, not an iota of it remained in the public mind after the initial extent of the crime became evident yesterday.
No, these cannot be outbursts of anybody that ever wore any uniform of a disciplined force. These cannot be the soldiers of BDR as we knew them and respected them for their untiring work in guarding our borders. These were the work of premeditated murderers who planned, prepared and then executed what amounts to the biggest loss of life of our well-trained officers corps of our armed forces.
We express our deepest shock and heart felt condolences for the families, relatives and friends of those who gave their lives while serving the cause of our security. We join the nation in mourning for them and praying for the salvation of their souls and hoping that Almighty will grant them eternal peace. We express our solidarity with the families of the bereaved and promise to stand by them as their children and families struggle to move forward in life. |