Pilkhana carnage: Sheikh Hasina being named as accused

Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, along with several Awami League leaders including Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Fazle Noor Taposh, are set to be named as accused for the first time in a case related to the Pilkhana massacre.

Borhan Uddin, Chief Prosecutor in the explosives case, said they will be charged based on evidence and witness testimonies. The case under the Explosive Substances Act currently has around 850 accused.

Of the 1,200 witnesses in the case, testimony from nearly 300 has been recorded so far. The prosecution claims statements from several key witnesses have revealed the involvement of Sheikh Hasina and others. The case is currently at the evidence-taking stage. Hundreds of accused in this case have been granted bail after August 5.

The carnage at the then BDR headquarters in Pilkhana on February 25, 2009, left 57 army officers dead. The brutal incident at one of the country's most secure installations sent shockwaves across the nation.

In its 2013 verdict, a trial court sentenced 152 people to death, 160 to life imprisonment and 256 to varying jail terms. Later, the High Court upheld the death sentences of 139 accused, sentenced 185 to life and 228 to various prison terms, while acquitting 283 others.