250 ex-BDR members granted bail after 15 years

Staff Reporter :

Around 250 former BDR members have been granted bail by the court in a case filed under the Explosives Act related to the killings at the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) headquarters in Pilkhana in 2009. This is the first time in 15 years that they have received bail.

The court issued the bail order today, Sunday, following a hearing in the Keraniganj court.

Advocate Aminul Islam, a lawyer representing one of the accused, told reporters, “The court stated that those who were acquitted in the murder case by the lower court, whose acquittals were not appealed by the government and who have no other sentences pending up to the High Court, have been granted bail.”

He further added that it may take up to two days to verify the necessary documents for processing the bail. He expects the accused will be released within two days.

The next hearing has been scheduled for February 10.
Earlier, a hearing was set for January 9, but it was postponed due to protests by students of Alia Madrasa. Subsequently, the hearing was relocated to Keraniganj.

The Pilkhana rebellion, which took place on February 25 and 26 in 2009, resulted in the deaths of 74 individuals, including 57 army officers.
Lawyers have stated that the trial of 834 accused individuals in the Explosives Act case began in 2010.