Soldiers were forced to take up arms
Says PW in BDR carnage case
Some armed mutineers forced the soldiers of now defunct Bangladesh Rifles to take up arms and join the carnage on February 25, 2009, said three prosecution witnesses yesterday in their deposition before the Metropolitan Sessions Judges' Court.
Some nine armed jawans came at 13 rifle battalion around 10:00am, fired blank shots and threatened to shoot anyone who did not arm themselves with weapons from the arms depot, said Sepoy Hemayet Hossain.
He named five among the nine soldiers. The two other witnesses also mentioned the names of two of the accused. Defence counsels later cross-examined the three. The court was then adjourned till April 9.
So far, 95 witnesses gave deposition at the court set up temporarily at the playground of Alia Madrasa in the capital's Bakshibazar.
A total 74 people, including 57 top and mid-ranking army officers, were killed in the two-day carnage at the headquarters of BDR, now Border Guard Bangladesh.
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