Armoury Break-in at Pilkhana
Victim Maj Reaz tells story
The mutineers broke into the armoury locking in its in-charge Maj Reazul Karim, about 10 minutes before the beginning of Darbar at the Pilkhana headquarters of erstwhile Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) on February 25, 2009, the victim said to a court yesterday.
Maj Reaz said the mutineers beat him up indiscriminately and carried him to the duty officer's room after taking away his mobile phone and wristwatch.
“They chained and roped me and locked the door of the room from outside”, said the army officer, who had been confined in the room for about 12 hours.
Around 9:00pm of February 25, some armed jawans came to the room and brought him outside, he said. “They were saying--bring out that dog and kill him”.
“I told them, 'please don't kill me, I have two daughters. I didn't do anything wrong'”. He said the mutineers then took him to another room where women and children were kept.
Some mutineers also went to his residence at Pilkhana and looted valuables, said Maj Reaz, who had joined BDR on deputation from the army about one and a half months before the mutiny.
Maj Reaz was giving his deposition against 21 BDR soldiers before a Metropolitan Session Judge's Court at the city's Bakshibazar yesterday.
Before him, the court recorded the depositions of sepoy Feroz Hossain Doptori and a civilian. The court was adjourned till February 6.
A total of 74 people, including 57 army officers, were brutally killed in the mutiny at the headquarters of BDR, now Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), in Pilkhana on February 25-26, 2009.
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