258 accused in BDR mutiny explosive case granted bail

In the explosive case related to the BDR (now BGB) mutiny at Pilkhana, 258 accused individuals, who were acquitted in the murder case or had no pending appeals, have been granted bail.

After a hearing at a temporary court inside Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj, Judge Ibrahim Mia of Dhaka's Special Tribunal 1 issued the bail order on Sunday.

The defense lawyer, Mohammad Parvez Hasan, sought a postponement of the testimony, while prosecutor Borhan Uddin requested the court to proceed with taking testimonies.

After the arguments, Syed Md Yusuf began his testimony at 11:47 am, recounting the tragic events at Pilkhana and describing how he survived.

Lawyer Nur Ershad Siddiqui stated, "In the BDR mutiny murder case, 278 individuals were acquitted by the trial court. The prosecution appealed the acquittal of 69 people in the High Court, and the acquittal of 20 was overturned. As a result, over 250 people have been acquitted by both the trial and higher courts. The court has granted bail to those acquitted by both courts."

The BDR mutiny at the Pilkhana headquarters in Dhaka on February 25 and 26, 2009, led to the deaths of 74 people, including 57 army officers. Two cases were filed—one for murder and another for explosives. While many were acquitted in the murder case or had completed their sentences, the unresolved explosive case delayed the release of 468 individuals. The trial for the murder case, involving 850 accused, concluded on November 5, 2013, with 152 sentenced to death, 160 to life imprisonment, and 256 receiving varying sentences. 278 individuals were acquitted, and the verdict for 20 was postponed.

Meanwhile, the trial for the explosive case involving 834 accused individuals began in 2010. However, in 2012, the case proceedings were mostly suspended, and only the testimonies for the murder case were presented by the prosecution, leading to delays in the trial.