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Bangladesh
RAB nabs five, including two sepoy ringleaders
2009-03-04
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) yesterday in a news conference claimed that it arrested five BDR mutineers, including two of the suspected leaders, and exhibited them to the media. At a media briefing in the Rab headquarters last evening, Col Reza-nur Rahman, additional director general of Rab, said they arrested Deputy Assistant Director (DAD) of BDR Syed Towhidul Alam and four others in the afternoon from a house in Hazaribagh of the capital.

But, Rab's claim gave rise to a confusion, as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday informed the parliament that Towhid had already been arrested.

Meanwhile, police kept 18 other BDR personnel confined in Holy Family Red Crescent Hospital. Neither police nor Rab however were willing to declare them as arrestees.

Hailing from Raipura village under Nolchhiti upazila of Jhalokathi district, DAD Towhid led the 14-member mutineers' negotiating team to the Prime Minister's residence Jamuna. According to Rab, the four other arrestees are DAD Mohammad Abdur Rahim of Nabinagar upazila in Brhmman Baria, Habilder Azad Ali of Domar upazila in Nilphamari district, Nayek Mohammad Firoj Ahmed of Barisal, and Jawan Mohammad Zakir Hossain of Nandail upazila in Mymensingh.

During the briefing, Nayek Firoj shouted out, "Sir, I was not arrested, I surrendered," prompting Rab officials to declare the briefing over, right away.

Of the five arrested BDR personnel, the names of DADs Towhid and Rahim are mentioned as principal accused in the case filed by Lalbagh Police Station Officer-in-charge Nobojyoti Khisa in connection with the mutiny. The case accuses over 1,000 BDR soldiers, specially mentioning the names of five junior commissioned (JCO) officers and a sepoy, including the names of Towhid and Abdur Rahim. The three other named JCOs are DADs Abdul Jalil, Nasiruddin Khan, and Mirza Habibur Rahman, while the specially mentioned accused sepoy is Jawan Selim.

At the end of yesterday's media briefing, Commander SMAK Azad, director of the legal and media wing of Rab, said the arrested five will be handed over to Lalbagh police, and later they will be forwarded to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

CID is the main investigator of the case, and Rab, Bangladesh Army and other government agencies are assisting it, Commander Azad said.

Meanwhile, no one is being allowed to see the 18 BDR personnel including suspected leader DAD Abdul Jalil, confined in Holy Family Hospital in total isolation in one room. Talking to The Daily Star on February 25, Jalil said he was one of the members of the 14-member mutineers' negotiation team. Jalil was taken to Holy Family Hospital on February 25 night by rescuers of the Red Crescent Society. He said he had no bullet wound, but was severely sick.

Abdul Kahar Akond, senior assistant superintended of police (ASP) of CID, who is leading the police investigation, told The Daily Star, "We are still collecting evidence from the crime scene."

Asked about the arrest of the 18 BDR personnel in the hospital, he declined to make any comment. Replying to another question, ASP Akond said all three probe committees are exchanging information.

Meanwhile, Rab-4 recovered seventy rounds of live bullets from Gonoktuli Sweepers' Colony in Hazaribagh yesterday. Until filing of this report late last night 47 assault rifles, 46 sub-machine guns, 11 light machine guns, 198 grenades, and over 50 thousand bullets were recovered from the BDR Pilkhana compound.
Posted by:Fred

#9  PAKISTANI DEFENCE FORUM > US SAYS CRICKET TEAM ATTACK AIMED AT [destroying] PAKISTAN, SRI LANKAN RELATIONS.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2009-03-04 18:33  

#8  They're bait, and fishing seems very good.
Posted by: Redneck Jim (WMOF)   2009-03-04 12:04  

#7  Meanwhile, Rab-4 recovered seventy rounds of live bullets from Gonoktuli Sweepers' Colony in Hazaribagh yesterday. Until filing of this report late last night 47 assault rifles, 46 sub-machine guns, 11 light machine guns, 198 grenades, and over 50 thousand bullets were recovered from the BDR Pilkhana compound.

That's a BIG step up from the ol' shutter gun and one round of bullet.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2009-03-04 11:46  

#6  These people won't face a late-evening crossfire. The Bangladeshi government wants them alive and able to answer questions. Once they're wrung dry, they'll face a firing squad if they're guilty, and expulsion from civilized society if they're not. They're going to be kept alive so examples can be made of them. A very few may "hang themselves" in their cells while awaiting trial, but no "crossfire".
Posted by: Old Patriot   2009-03-04 11:39  

#5  The trucncheons were all out at the cleaner's...
Posted by: Seafarious   2009-03-04 10:23  

#4  He's just a target drone ...
Posted by: Steve White   2009-03-04 09:32  

#3  Insufficient 'crossfire' the first time?
Posted by: Mullah Richard   2009-03-04 09:16  

#2  arrested alive by RAB twice? Has that ever happened before?
Posted by: Frank G   2009-03-04 08:32  

#1  Replying to another question, ASP Akond said all three probe committees are exchanging information.

Probe 1: "We have positively identified one asshole."

Probe 2: "Roger that, we are in possession of one pain-in-the-ass."

Probe 3: "10-4, we have found 3 hamsters and an axe handle."
Posted by: Jack is Back!   2009-03-04 08:26  

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