Staff Reporter :
Family members of the “innocent” BDR soldiers, imprisoned in connection with the Pilkhana BDR mutiny, are staging a sit-in at the city’s Central Shaheed Minar on Wednesday demanding the release of the detained soldiers among several other demands.
According to eyewitnesses and police sources, the protesting family members gathered at the Central Shaheed Minar around 12:30pm. From there, they began a march towards the State Guest House Jamuna.
Upon reaching Shahbagh, they faced resistance from the police and were forced to stop in front of the Charukala Institute.
By 5pm, they moved back to the Central Shaheed Minar, where they resumed their protest and delivered speeches demanding their demands be met. Other demands include the reinstatement of dismissed BDR members and the rehabilitation of those whose service period has expired.
A relative of a dismissed BDR member, Al Amin, said they will continue their protest overnight at the Central Shaheed Minar to press for their demands. If their demands are not met, they will carry on with their movement indefinitely.
Ramna Region’s Assistant Police Commissioner Abdullah Al Mamun said those who were dismissed after the BDR revolt and their families are leading the protest.
However, Mahin Sarkar – an executive member of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement – expressed solidarity with their demands. The police have been deployed to maintain control of the situation.
