[Bangla Daily Star] About six months after the Pilkhana massacre on February 25-26, the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) chief yesterday for the first time hinted that the country's foreign enemies benefited from the carnage.Without naming any such enemies, BDR Director General Maj Gen Md Mainul Islam yesterday at his Darbar said, "Definitely the people who started the mutiny have done it for their benefit. BDR has not gained anything; whatever has happened has been a loss. This must have benefited someone. Our enemies have benefited."
"It has to be remembered that Bangladesh is not free from enemies in the international arena. Bangladesh's enemies definitely exist. When Bangladesh's people thought of autonomy by casting vote, Pakistan's occupying forces attacked us. Therefore, there are still many people against us," said Mainul.
Yesterday's BDR Darbar held at the Darbar Hall of the force's headquarters in Pilkhana was the first such conference after the bloody mutiny in February, which started from a Darbar at the same place.
The mutiny left 74 people, including 57 top- and mid-ranking army officers including the then DG, killed.
BDR officials said in the history of BDR this is the first time journalists were allowed inside the Darbar Hall during a BDR Darbar.
Explaining the unprecedented presence of journalists in the Darbar Hall, the BDR DG told The Daily Star, "After the mutiny people have become curious about BDR and how it functions and the media have been called in to satisfy their curiosity and to get people more involved in the functioning of BDR."
After the Darbar, the DG met journalists briefly to speak about the programme.
When journalists asked whether foreign enemies were involved in the mutiny, he said, "Under the current global geo-political situation, there exists a power of some sort against each country. I am not saying anything about foreign nationals or people of our own country [were involved in the mutiny].
"There must be someone working against the sovereignty of the country. Someone must be working against us somehow. That is why soldiers said in Darbar that BDR has not gained anything, so I said surely the enemy of the country has been benefited from the carnage. But I cannot say now the names of the enemies, as I do not know the names. But we certainly have enemies," Gen Mainul said.
Keeping in mind the horror of the mutiny at the Darbar Hall in February, BDR authorities yesterday took huge precautionary measures to ensure security.
Sources said around 2,500 BDR soldiers attended the Darbar and the same number of people from the army, Rab and police were deployed to ensure security in every places there including the main entrances, the arsenal and the kote (ammunition depot).
Emphasising the need for ensuring fair trials for the crimes committed during the mutiny, Gen Mainul told the Darbar, "It is everyone's duty to provide facts about the mutiny if we expect justice."
He asked BDR soldiers at Darbar, "You will give the right information about the mutiny with one hand and receive justice with the other."
Gen Mainul repeatedly said there would be very little possibility of getting justice if BDR personnel do not provide the correct information about the massacre.
Many among the soldiers who attended yesterday's Darbar were also present at the last Darbar in February.
Gen Mainul expressed his disappointment over the lies some soldiers told about the carnage.
Citing an example he said 50 soldiers claimed separately that they took shelter in a bathroom in Pilkhana during the period from February 25 afternoon to February 26 but the bathroom only has room for seven people at best.
When The Daily Star asked the DG whether they are facing any large obstacles in getting information and evidence, he said, "We have information and evidence and the CID has got plenty of information and evidence but what we want is spontaneous flow of information."
The BDR DG also said he had observed many of the soldiers prefer to keep quiet when they go on leave or speak to people over phone following the advice of their "well-wishers".
"I would like to tell you clearly that it would be entirely impossible to ensure justice if you hide information whether it is for yourself or for others," said the DG.
He told soldiers, "Leave the friends of outside [people who do not belong to the force] and accept the friends from the inside [people in the force]."
When the soldiers told the DG that they have confidence in him, the DG said, "Take me with you if you have confidence in me, I am with you too, we must ensure justice together."
Forty minutes into his speech the DG asked journalists to leave the Darbar Hall as he wanted to speak to the soldiers in private about the flow of the information regarding the carnage.