US commits to cooperate in Pilkhana BDR case
Staff Reporter :
The United States has expressed its willingness to cooperate with Bangladesh in investigations into the 2009 Pilkhana BDR massacre, in which numerous military officers and civilians lost their lives.
In response to a recent complaint filed with the International Crimes Tribunal implicating 57 individuals, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, U.S. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel made this statement during a press briefing in Washington DC on Thursday.
“I haven’t seen the latest reporting, but I’m happy to check with the team and see if we can provide any further information,” Patel said.
The US has consistently reaffirmed its commitment to supporting justice and accountability for human rights violations and political violence.
This development highlights the international attention the Pilkhana tragedy continues to attract, while victims’ families persist in their pursuit of justice through legal channels.
Advocate Uday Tasmir submitted the case on behalf of the victims’ families to the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh, accusing key suspects of involvement in the incident that resulted in the deaths of dozens of army officers and civilians.
Earlier, at a briefing on December 18, a question was raised regarding the United States’ position on Sheikh Hasina’s alleged involvement in enforced disappearances and the US sanctions related to this issue.
This inquiry referred to an investigative report by The New York Times on Bangladesh’s Commission on Enforced Disappearances, which reportedly implicates the former Prime Minister. The US had previously imposed sanctions on individuals linked to enforced disappearances.
In response, Vedant Patel remarked: “We have been deeply troubled by reports of hundreds of Bangladeshis being forcibly disappeared over the past two decades.”
He continued, “Enforced disappearance is a severe human rights violation that inflicts the trauma of indefinite detention or disappearance on its victims, while also causing uncertainty for their families.”
“We welcome efforts by the interim government to investigate these crimes and encourage fair and transparent processes to ensure justice for the victims and their families,” he added.