Yunus pledges justice for Pilkhana carnage victims
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus emphasised on Monday that his government feels a moral obligation to ensure justice for the Pilkhana carnage victims.
"With all our strength, we will uncover and make public every detail related to this tragedy. Gathering comprehensive information about this incident is an urgent priority. The entire nation witnessed this massacre," he said during a meeting with family members of the martyred officers at the state guesthouse Jamuna in the evening.
Professor Yunus expressed astonishment upon learning that no comprehensive investigation into the carnage has been conducted after so many years.
"It is shocking that such a heinous crime has remained shrouded in secrecy for so long. Today, I have heard things from you that are both enlightening and deeply troubling," he told the families.
The family members of the martyred officers demanded a fair and transparent investigation into the Pilkhana massacre. They also called for February 25 to be officially declared as Martyred Soldiers' Day to honour those who lost their lives.
The families shared their harrowing experiences, describing the psychological harassment and oppression they faced under the previous Sheikh Hasina-led government when seeking justice.
"We were subjected to inhuman treatment for simply demanding justice. Various forms of torture were inflicted upon us to silence the truth," they said.
The families debunked claims by the former government regarding the resettlement of martyr families on Mainul Road in Dhaka Cantonment, saying that no such allotments were made.
Promises such as providing free education for children and other forms of support have gone unfulfilled, they added, highlighting the broken commitments made to them.
Chief Adviser Yunus assured the families that their concerns would be addressed.
The meeting was attended by several key government figures, including Law Adviser Asif Nazrul, Industries and Public Works Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Power and Energy Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, Adviser without portfolio Mahfuj Alam, and Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud.
The Pilkhana carnage was a mutiny staged on February 25, 2009 in Dhaka by a section of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), a paramilitary force mainly tasked with guarding the borders of Bangladesh, at its headquarters at Pilkhana. The rebelling BDR soldiers took over the BDR headquarters in Pilkhana, killing BDR director-general Shakil Ahmed along with 56 other army officers and 17 civilians.
