Discussed Peelkhana murder case: 178 former BDR members released

POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Jan 23, 2025 : 178 former BDR members have been released from prison after 16 years in the much-discussed Peelkhana murder case in Bangladesh.
On Thursday (January 23), former BDR members started coming out of Kashipur prison in Gazipur at around 11 am. The relatives waiting at that time were in a state of excitement.
On January 19, after taking testimony and hearing bail in the temporary court of Keraniganj prison, Judge Ibrahim Miah of Dhaka Special Tribunal-2 ordered the release of the accused in the explosives case on bail.
The order said that those who have been acquitted in the BDR mutiny murder case and against whom there is no appeal in the high court will be released on bail. Similarly, those who have already completed their sentence in the murder case will also be released if there is no appeal in the high court. However, the exact date of the order was not specified.
On February 25 and 26, 2009, 74 people, including 57 army officers, were killed in a mutiny at the Border Guard headquarters in Peelkhana, Dhaka. Two cases were filed in that incident under the Murder and Explosives Act. After being acquitted or serving their sentences in the murder case, 468 people are still pending release due to the explosives case.
The trial of 850 people in the murder case ended on November 5, 2013. In addition to the hanging of 152 people, 160 were sentenced to life imprisonment and 256 to various terms of imprisonment. In addition, 278 people were acquitted.
On November 27, 2017, the High Court delivered its verdict on the death reference and appeal in that case. The verdict upheld the death sentences of 139 accused. Along with this, 185 people were sentenced to life imprisonment. In addition, 228 people were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment. And 283 people were acquitted.
However, a total of 54 accused, including 15 others, died before the High Court verdict. As a result, 226 accused have filed appeals and leave to appeal against the High Court verdict in the murder case. On the other hand, the state has filed leave to appeal against the verdict of acquitting and reducing the sentences of 83 accused in the High Court. These appeals and leave to appeal are now awaiting hearing.
After the interim government took office, there has been a demand to restart the investigation into the BDR mutiny. On December 19, members of the martyr’s family went to the International Crimes Tribunal with the complaint. On December 24, the government formed a commission headed by ALM Fazlur Rahman to reinvestigate the murder and set a time limit of 90 days.