Bangla army wanted to attack BDR HQ, held back by Hasina: Brig

Anisur Rahman

Dhaka, Mar 1 (PTI) Bangladesh Army was ready to storm the
headquarters of the BDR here soon after the mutiny erupted,
but heeded to Premier Sheikh Hasina's advice at the last
minute to resolve the issue politically, a top officer has
revealed.

"The Prime Minister directed that the crisis be solved
politically and it has been resolved in that manner," Brig Gen
Mahmud Hossain, Director of Military Intelligence, told a
press conference here Saturday night.

He said the army was ready to put down the BDR mutiny
soon after it began on Wednesday, but decided to support
Hasina's decision to solve the issue politically.

The bloody two-day revolt by the renegade soldiers of the
paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles left at least 73 Army officers
and four civilians dead.

Terming it "possibly the worst massacre of army
officers in Bangladesh's history", Brig Hossain said the anger
among the armed forces was "very natural".

"However, the army is a disciplined force which can
control its emotion", he said.

Asked if a retaliation by the army would have led to
more bloodshed, army doctor Col Abdul Salam, who was also
present at the press conference, said "it's a difficult
question but the restraint by the army was good".

Outraged over the killing of its officers during the
mutiny by BDR soldiers, the Bangladesh army demanded "maximum"
punishment for those involved in the massacre.

"Exemplary punishment of the culprits will cool our
resentment. Our demand is that the investigation into the
killings should be quickened and maximum punishment should be
given to those persons responsible for them," Brig Hossain
said.

He said the army has begun its own probe into the
killings of its officers during the mutiny even as the
investigation ordered by a government-constituted committee
continues. PTI AR
PMR
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