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| Bangladesh |
| 16 jawans confess to BDR mutiny |
| 2010-01-21 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] Sixteen BDR jawans of 7 Rifle Battalion yesterday admitted to their involvement in mutiny and begged for mercy in writing before BDR Special Court-1 in Satkhira just a day after they claimed themselves innocent. This is the first instance that any suspected BDR mutineers admitted to their guilt since the trial began in four BDR courts on November 24 last year. The three-member court headed by BDR Director General M Mainul Islam received sixteen petitions for mercy, reports our Satkhira correspondent. The court said it would consider the petitions as per the BDR Act. Sixteen of the sixty accused BDR jawans of 7 Rifle Battalion submitted the mercy petitions to the court confessing to their involvement in the BDR mutiny at Nildumur of Shyamnagar upazila on February 26 last year. In their statements, they said they took part in the revolt in gross violation of the BDR Act at the instigation of other mutineers and out of greed. The BDR jawans include Lance Nayek Minhaj Uddin, Nayek Subedar Akmal Hossain, habildars Abdul Baten Bhuiyan, Sheikh Tahmid Uddin, Golam Masud, Abu Khaja, Jahangir Hossain, and Abul Kashem, nayeks Mokbul Hossain and Abdur Rahim Sarkar, sepoys Ziaur Rahman, Anwar Hossain, Nur Hossain, Golam Mostafa Sagir and Abu Yusuf Fakir. The sixteen BDR jawans claimed themselves innocent on Monday denying the accusations brought against them by the prosecution during the hearing for framing charges at the same court. But two of them at one point of trial proceedings on Tuesday told the court verbally that they are "guilty" and confessed to their guilt during cross-examination. The court told them that it would not take their verbal confessions into cognisance. It asked them to submit their statements in writing if they wished to do so. Meanwhile, three more prosecution witnesses gave statements before the court set up at 41 Rifle Battalion headquarters in Satkhira. As per the BDR law, the accused cross-examined the prosecution witnesses with the assistance of BDR officer Maj Shamim Reza and lawyer Zahid Hossain. Ten of 40 prosecution witnesses gave their depositions before the court till yesterday. The court took depositions of seven others on Tuesday. Two other members of the special court, headed by M Mainul Islam, are Lt Col Gazi Khalid Hossain and Maj Lutful Karim. The court adjourned the proceedings till 9:30am today. Deputy Attorney General advocate Khasruzzaman presenting the attorney general and senior public prosecutors Mosharraf Hossain Kajal and Sahidur Rahman stood for the state. |
| Posted by:Fred |