Bangladesh News

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday told parliament that her government has sought assistance from the US and UN in probing the bloody mutiny at BDR headquarters in the capital.

She said she has asked a senior US official for help in investigation into the carnage that left at least 130 army officers killed or missing.

“I have had a talk with Richard Boucher [US assistant secretary of state] today. I told him I want FBI assistance in the probe,” the prime minister said.

“I have already sought UN support, and I also want Scotland Yard to help us,” she added.

Speaking about the government’s tackling of February 25-26 revolt, which she termed a pre-planned massacre, she said the focus was on saving thousands of innocent people.

“I opted for talks to save lives, to save the soldiers and their families,” she said replying to Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia’s charges that the prime minister had made a tactical mistake by not resorting to force.

“You must surrender, release the hostages, release the officers,” Hasina said of her talks with representatives of mutineers Wednesday just hours into the crisis.

“That’s how the families survived … the little children survived. What else could we do?”

“This is unprecedented that we managed to end such a mutiny and hostage crisis at such a short time.”

“Since the investigation is on, I won’t say much about those who had arranged cars and boats to help the mutineers flee”.

“What happened in 1977? How many military officers got killed?” she said, speaking of the coups and counter-coups in the past.

“As many as 565 officers were hanged to death in one incident.”