BNP has raised questions about the long process of murder trial in the case of the then BDR rebellion in Pilkhana.
BNP Standing Committee member Abdul Moin Khan raised this question after paying tribute to the martyrs at the Banani Military Cemetery on Sunday morning (February 25).
He said, 15 years have passed today. There is a saying in Bengali, the words of justice cry in silence. There is a saying in the English language – if judgment is delayed then judgment is worthless. So today we are hearing that the trial process is still pending… Why is it pending, why are those who have been imprisoned on those charges… Why are they incarcerated without trial until today?
Moin Khan also said, ‘We don’t know if such a sad incident has ever happened in the history of a nation. Today we will say only one thing, every citizen of Bangladesh should get justice through good governance, through law… we expect that. We have nothing to say about the culprit being punished.’
He said, it is never right to interfere in judicial work. Judges will remain steadfast in their principles and resolve this issue fairly quickly – 15 years on today, we hope.
At 10:30 a.m., a delegation of BNP led by Abdul Meen Khan laid wreaths at the monument in memory of the Pilkhana massacre martyrs at the Banani Military Cemetery and prayed for the repose of their souls.
BNP Chairperson’s Advisory Council Member Retired Major General Fazle Elahi Akbar, Liberation War Affairs Secretary Retired Colonel Zainal Abedin and retired BDR officials were present at this time.
On 25 and 26 February 2009, wreaths were laid at the graves of the dead on the 15th martyrdom anniversary of the killing of unarmed army personnel by some misguided rioters of BDR.
74 people including 57 army officers were killed in Pilkhana rebellion. In that case, 152 people were sentenced to death and 423 people were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment in the murder case.
