Inspired by it’s founder General Ziaur Rahman’s attempt who staged around 19 coups in armed forces, Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami, directly colluded with Pakistan in orchestrating a grisly scheme that saw a total of 57 officials from armed forces were ruthlessly executed inside then headquarter of Border Guard forces.
Yet on the 15th anniversary of gruesome killing, reportedly carried out to breakdown chain of command within security establishments, BNP, alongside Jamaat, has been running a disinformation campaign to pass the blame on the government.
From the acting chief Tarique Rahman, who is leading a fugitive life in London to other Tarique loyal aides who got rank within the party, coupled with Jamaat backed social media handles, slapped the blame on AL. Even the disinformation campaign scaled to an alarming turn after loyalists to Tarique even went on to reverse the blame, similar to what BNP leaders have done to cover up their involvement in arson attacks ahead of the latest polls.
But let’s take a look at the facts-
Officers who were executed during the trial were mostly responsible for holding a free and fair election in 2008 that saw BNP Jamaat combine rejected by public and Awami League witnessed record high public mandate. Most of the officials played an instrumental role in the crackdown against militants and terrorists who raised their tentacles during the BNP Jamaat regime. During the last rule of BNP Jamaat, between 2001 and 2006, Bangladesh became a safe haven for transnational terrorists also.
Curtesy to Tarique Rahman, who ran a parallel government at his mother’s tenure, even handpicked a cabal of ministers and lawmakers who directly backed these fanatic militants back then. Bangladesh: cocoon of terror, New Islamist Revolution, on the verge of second Afghanistan, were some headlines appeared in international outlets. Writers and politicians who held liberal views were executed ruthlessly by these rabidly radical terror groups, operated at the behest of Tarique.
According to media reports, just five days before the planned carnage, an intermediary named Zia Ispahani, flew in Bangladesh and warned a newly voted to power Sheikh Hasina not to initiate the trial of war criminals. Yet Zia, who represented the Pakistan government, held an exclusive meeting with BNP chief Khaleda Zia who had been vocal against war crimes trial.
Four days before the mayhem had been unleashed, a top Jamaat leader Mujahid, who later found convicted in war crimes trail, even made an attempt to leave the country.
Tarique Part of the plot?
Hours before the grueling killing spree, Tarique, from London, called his mother Begum Zia, for over forty times and asked her to leave the government residence by 6:00am, a clear marker observers contend reflects Tarique knew the plot beforehand and even part of the cabal.
From early hours of 25th February (at around 1:00 am), Tarique started dialing her mother who was in Bangladesh and continued till 6:00am. All the officers murdered at the mayhem, earned considerable repute and fame, for their courage on line of duty in the fight against militants.
These militants sprung up right at the patronage of Tarique, who capitalized on the mother’s premiership, and even sought to return to Pakistan style communal rule and a death knell to liberals and seculars.
Even 21st August grenade attack to physically liquidate then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina who was addressing an anti-terror rally in 2004 to gruesome machete killing of the secular writers and thinkers, these militant groups were actively involved. On the other hand, a well established nexus with Pakistan was also established between the groups.
What the verdicts say
“Push the newly elected democratic government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina into instability”, damage the country’s internal security and stability and hamper Bangladesh’s participation in the UN peacekeeping mission”, are the observations made by the verdict.
For the Awami League led government the challenges were insurmountable but that government acted swiftly and brought the situation under control. Moreover, it was only 48 day government that was voted to power but the government did taken up strong measures to ensure law and order situation.
On the other hand, “the Pilkhana massacre was a mass killing. The worthy sons of the soil were brutally murdered on that day”, “Destroying its chain of command, push the newly-elected democratic government into instability by putting the army and the BDR on a path of confrontation, damage the country’s internal security and stability, tarnish Bangladesh’s image in the world and hamper the country’s participation in the UN peacekeeping mission” as the verdict has observed.
BNP lawyer in defence of killers
A number of BNP central leaders who were involved in the legal battle on behalf of killers include Barrister Rafiqul Islam Miah, Md. Jaynul Abedin, TM Akbar, Sheikh Rashedul Haque, Majedur Rahman Mamun among other top BNP leaders. On the other hand, law-years for war criminals including SM Shahjahan and Farique Ahmed also defended killers who also subscribed to Jamaat ideologue.
“Emdadul Haque Lal, Sufia Akhter Helen, Aminur Rahman, Abdul Mannan and Humayun Kabir” are some names prominently featured in the list of lawyers, while all of them were holding ranks and files in pro BNP Jamaat panel of lawyers.
Observers say, involvement of so many lawyers in favour of the killers would not have been possible without the consent from BNP Jamaat high command.
Tarique loyalist recommended recruitment of killers in force
It was a top Tarique aide who was elevated to the ranks of deputy minister, Abdus Salam Pintu, who directly recommended for the recruitment of 14 such members in the BDR. All of these members went into hiding only to be arrested later following the killing. Importantly, Pintu was known for publicly trumpeting his close nexus with Pakistan and harbouring close ties with Pakistan and its notorious security establishment including ISI. Pintu himself was found involved in the infamous grenade attack known as 21st August case that was carried out in direct patronage of Tarique.
When Tarique’s mother ruled the country, Tarique built up an empire that included Pintu and other militants that sought to establish a parallel system run by radicals and terrorists. According to a Canadian investigative journalists, Tarique even funded directly into militancy as he found these outfits essential to solidify grip on power.
BNP mobilized grassroots cadres in Dhaka
Just a day before the scheme was brought into action, BNP instructed all party cadres from different parts of the country should reach the capital at a rally to be held on February 24. Though the rallies were held in the capital on that evening, the party chief was conspicuously absent. And the carnage was unleashed just hours after the rally was ended. Observers say, BNP leaders mobilized the party cadres ahead of the carnage can be deemed as an attempt to help the rioters in worsening the situation and helping the killers escape the justice.