Bangladesh identifies over 150 BDR mutineers: Officials

More than 150 BDR soldiers, suspected of involvement in the massacre of 73 Army officers, have been identified by investigators, who are also focussing on possible "militant and extra-Bangladesh links" to the bloody mutiny in the paramilitary force here nearly two weeks ago.

Officials familiar with the investigation into the 33-hour revolt in the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) on February 25-26 said that more than 150 rebel soldiers were identified after screening of photographs and video footages while 36 had been detained so far as interrogation of suspects was underway.
    
"We have been using the television footages and still photographs captured by the journalists during the mutiny to identify the rebels while interrogation of the arrested soldiers was underway," an official said.
    
The official, who did not wish to be named, said investigators were also trying to unearth possible militant and extra-Bangladesh links to the massacre, examining the background of the rebel soldiers.

Meanwhile, the Daily Star newspaper, quoting investigation sources, said some 250 suspected BDR mutineers were still on the run, defying government orders to get back to barracks as a massive manhunt, including the army-led 'Operation Rebel Hunt', was underway to locate them.

The latest investigations found that 7,500 soldiers were inside the Pilkhana headquarters of the paramilitary troops during the mutiny in which all the 12 BDR sector commanders, including its chief Major General Shakil Ahmed, were killed.
    
The revolt claimed 77 lives, 73 of them Army officers. Bodies of 58 army officers, a retired military officer, wives of two army officers, a military soldier, two domestic helps and six BDR personnel and three pedestrians have been identified.
    
"Of the 7,500 troops (in BDR headquarters), more than half were from battalions based in Dhaka. Some of them were staying at Pilkhana as it was their station, while some were there for training and other purposes," said an army officer, adding the remaining BDR soldiers came from battalions outside the capital to join the BDR Week celebrations.
    
Investigators earlier said they suspected that outsiders in uniform took part in last week's massacre of army officers serving the paramilitary force on deputation, as BDR soldiers who reported back to work claimed "masked" soldiers forced them to join them to stage the mutiny.

Police have filed a case against 1,000 rebel soldiers, naming six including BDR's deputy assistant director Touhidul Alam, as the main suspects, charging them with treason, murder and looting.
    
Alam and four others are now being interrogated as they were recently remanded in police custody for seven days by a court.