Ultimatum for IGP Baharul on links to BDR killing
Staff Reporter :
Three Supreme Court lawyers on Thursday issued a legal notice to the government demanding the removal of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Baharul Alam within 24 hours, citing allegations raised against him in the newly submitted report of the National Independent Inquiry
Commission on the 2009 BDR carnage.
The notice warns that legal action will follow if the government fails to comply.
The notice was served by advocates Md Abdus Samad, Md Shahin Hossain and Md Atiqur Rahman, who argued that the commission’s findings cast serious doubt on the IGP’s eligibility to remain in the country’s top police post at a time when accountability and institutional integrity are under heightened public scrutiny.
They said the government has a constitutional obligation to take immediate administrative steps in response to the inquiry’s revelations.
Copies of the legal notice were sent to the chief secretary at the Chief Adviser’s Office, the senior secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the senior secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration and the secretary of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.
The move comes just days after the National Independent Inquiry Commission formally handed its report to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus.
The commission, formed by the interim government to reexamine the Pilkhana massacre 16 years after the incident, accused several officials from the then Awami League government, members of the party, and foreign actors of orchestrating or facilitating the killing of 57 army officers and 17 others on February 25–26, 2009.
The commission’s findings have reignited political tensions and touched off demands for further investigation, resignations, and prosecutions.
Although the report’s full contents have not yet been made public, its central claims — including references to high-level coordination and external involvement — have triggered renewed debate over the integrity of the original investigations and trials.
The lawyers stated in the notice that allowing IGP Baharul Alam to continue in his role despite being named in the report undermines public trust in law enforcement at a critical juncture.
They argued that his removal is necessary to ensure an impartial follow-up investigation and to prevent potential interference as the government considers next steps.
Officials have not yet commented on whether the interim administration plans to take action within the 24-hour deadline.
The Chief Adviser’s Office has also not indicated if the commission’s recommendations will be released publicly, and no timeline has been announced for possible government decisions arising from the inquiry.
As the country absorbs the shockwaves of the commission’s report, Thursday’s legal notice adds another layer of pressure on the administration, raising the prospect of judicial intervention if the government chooses not to act.