Court grants bail to over 200 defendants in explosives case linked to BDR mutiny

More than 200 defendants, who had been acquitted in the murder case related to the BDR mutiny or faced no further appeals, have been granted bail in the explosives case. 

This significant development took place on Sunday, January 19, when Judge Md. Ibrahim Mia of Dhaka Special Tribunal-1 held a court session inside Keraniganj Central Jail.

The court proceedings began around 11 a.m., with defense lawyer Mohammad Parvez requesting a postponement of witness testimony. 

On the other hand, state prosecutor Alhaj Md. Borhan Uddin pushed for the testimony to proceed. After hearing both sides, the court moved forward, and eyewitness Major Syed Md. Yusuf provided his testimony at 11:47 a.m.

The BDR mutiny occurred on February 25 and 26, 2009, at the Pilkhana headquarters of the Border Guard Bangladesh (then known as BDR). 

The mutiny resulted in the tragic deaths of 74 people, including 57 army officers. Following the incident, two cases were filed—one for murder and another under the Explosives Act. 

While many of those involved in the murder case have either completed their sentences or been acquitted, the release of 468 individuals has been delayed due to the pending explosives case.

The murder trial for 850 individuals concluded on November 5, 2013, with 152 receiving death sentences, 160 getting life imprisonment, and 256 others handed varying prison terms. 

A total of 278 people were acquitted in that case.

In a later development, the High Court delivered its verdict on November 27, 2017, upholding death sentences for 139 individuals and giving life sentences to 185 others. 

An additional 228 people received various prison terms, while 283 were acquitted.

Tragically, 54 of the defendants, including 15 sentenced to death, passed away before the High Court delivered its ruling. 

As of now, 226 of the defendants have appealed the High Court‍‍`s decision, while the state has sought leave-to-appeal against the acquittal or sentence reduction of 83 individuals. 

These appeals are currently awaiting a hearing.

In the meantime, the trial for 834 defendants in the explosives case began back in 2010. 

However, the proceedings stalled as the state prioritized witness testimonies in the murder case, causing delays in the trial of the explosives case.

After the interim government took power, calls for a renewed investigation into the BDR mutiny began to surface. 

On December 19, the families of the victims approached the International Crimes Tribunal, demanding a new investigation. 

In response, on December 24, the government formed a commission headed by A.L.M. Fazlur Rahman to investigate the killings, giving them 90 days to complete their findings.

This fresh development raises questions about the explosive case and the possibility of further actions being taken as investigations continue.