Bangladesh News

The home ministry has extended the deadline for submitting the report of a probe into the ‘unnatural deaths’ of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) soldiers in custody by a month again, as the investigation committee could not make any headway yet, even after three prior extensions.

At least 36 BDR soldiers died in custody in the capital and elsewhere following their arrests in connection with the February mutiny in the border security force’s headquarters in Pilkhana, which had left 75 persons killed including 57 army officers deputed to the force.

Meanwhile, some home ministry officials questioned the ability of the four-member investigation committee, saying it might not be able to deal with such a sensitive matter while being headed by a deputy secretary.

The government formed the committee on May 14 for an executive inquiry into the rising number of BDR jawans’ deaths in custody, following growing concerns and criticisms from human rights organisations at home and abroad.

The committee was asked to identify the reasons behind the custodial deaths and to recommend steps for preventing it. It was also asked to complete the investigation and submit a report in 15 days.

Deputy Home Secretary Zakir Hossain was made the chief of the committee, which also included a representative from the police and another from BDR. A doctor was later added to the committee after Zakir had told the ministry that he would not be able to carry out the inquiry without a medical expert.

After the committee had missed the first deadline of June 4, the ministry allowed it 15 more days to complete the inquiry, but it missed the second deadline too and was given a month’s extension.

But then it missed the third deadline of July 26 as well, prompting the home ministry on July 29 to allow one more month for completing the inquiry and submitting the report.

“It’s a very weak committee, too weak to initiate any inquiry into the unnatural deaths,” a senior home ministry official told The Daily Star, adding that the government should have formed a more powerful committee.

Home Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder however said the committee is quite capable to carry out the probe.

About extending the deadline once more, he said he is hopeful that the committee will be able to complete the task by the deadline this time.

The police arrested more than 3,000 BDR jawans from different places across the country following the worst mutiny in the paramilitary force’s history.