Today marks the solemn 15th anniversary of the tragic Pilkhana massacre, a day of remembrance for the lives lost during one of the darkest chapters in Bangladesh’s history.
In a heartfelt tribute, Major General SM Salahuddin Islam and Major General Kabir Ahmed, military secretaries to the president and the prime minister, respectively, laid wreaths at the Military Graveyard in Banani, Dhaka, honouring the army officers who perished.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, alongside the chiefs of the army, navy, and air force — General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed, Admiral M Nazmul Hassan, and Air Chief Marshal Shaikh Abdul Hannan — also paid their respects.
Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, Director General of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), along with families and relatives of the martyrs, joined in commemorating the fallen.
A moment of silence was observed, memorialising the 74 victims, including 57 army officers, who lost their lives during the armed insurrection at the BDR (now BGB) headquarters on 25 February 2009.
The mutiny, which erupted amidst the “BDR Week” celebrations, concluded after intense negotiations, leading to the rebels’ surrender of arms. The aftermath saw the filing of 58 cases related to murder, looting, and mutiny.
In the largest-ever killing case in the country, 152 individuals received the death penalty, and 423 were handed various prison sentences for their roles in the massacre. Additionally, 277 were acquitted.
Among the convicts, 262 mutineers were sentenced to different jail terms starting from three months to 19 years, and 161 people, including late BNP leader Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu and local Awami League leader Torab Ali, were sentenced to life imprisonment.
