Ring leader of BDR revolt identified; troops launch manhunt

Anisur Rahman

Dhaka, Mar 2 (PTI) A senior officer of Bangladesh
Rifles (BDR) was Monday identified as the "ring leader" of the
bloody rebellion which left at least 73 army officers dead as
army launched a massive manhunt to track down about 1,000
fugitive soldiers against whom murder charges were slapped.

Touhidul Alam, Deputy Assistant Director of the BDR,
who led a rebel delegation in talks with Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina, was named as the "main" leader of rebel soldiers.
Efforts to track down Alam have not yet yielded results.

"The massacre took place under his (Alam's) leadership
... the rebels had accepted him as their leader," said Nabo
Jyoti Khisha, the chief of Lalbagh police station where a case
has been filed.

Police claimed that they have gathered "enough
evidence" against Alam and other conspirators of the two-day
mutiny. Among the 73 officers who were killed was BDR chief
Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed. Mutilated bodies of his wife, Nazneen,
and three other civilians were recovered from the mass graves
and drains inside the BDR complex.

Seventy-two army officers are still missing.

As police and intelligence investigations got underway
in Bangladesh's most high profile case, troops launched a
massive manhunt to 1,000 fugitive soldiers blamed for the
mutiny.

The Home Ministry put out a notice asking people to
inform their nearest police stations immediately if they have
any information about absconding BDR personnel.

"We have already gathered enough evidence including
the statements of survivors and the process is underway to
collect more," said Khisha.

Lalbagh police have filed cases against three other
BDR deputy assistant directors and two lower rank soldiers of
the paramilitary troops for leading the revolt, taking
hostage, setting fire and hiding the bodies of the officials.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has ordered the military
to join the manhunt for the mutineers and has also sought help
from US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Britain's
Scotland Yard for the probe.

Meanwhile, President Zillur Rahman Monday led vast
gathering of mourners for a mass state funeral for the 49 army
officers and one family members slain in the violent mutiny.

Air force jets flew overhead in salute at the mass
funeral prayers held at the national parade ground here
Monday. Army Chief Gen Moeen U Ahmed was also present.

Hasina has already indicated that she plans to form
special tribunals to try those who organised the mutiny, which
she has described as "planned massacre" that may have received
outside help.

Dhaka Monday sought US assistance for investigation
when the US envoy James F Moriarty met the Foreign Minister
Dipu Moni.

The US envoy assured that Washington will provide the
assistance. Moni also said a similar assurance had been given
by the British High Commissioner.

Moni, the Daily Star reported, had asked for Scotland
Yard expertise to Bangladesh to investigate the mutiny.

Meanwhile, the case has been handed over to Criminal
Investigation Department (CID) of police.

The case will be investigated by the Senior Additional
Superintendent Abdul Kahhar Akand, the official who was the
investigation officer of the murder case of Bangladesh founder
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The government Sunday night constituted a second
enquiry committee into the massacre.

Meanwhile, hundreds of BDR soldiers reported back to
their barracks.