Only 25 BDR men now found hiding

The authority has finally identified only 25 BDR jawans as fugitives among over 7,000 earlier claimed to have escaped from Pilkhana BDR headquarters after the February 25-26 carnage.Commerce Minister Faruk Khan, who heads a committee for coordinating measures of the Prime Minister's Office and the home and defence ministries in the wake of BDR carnage, yesterday said many of these fugitives committed grievous offences.Many including defence officials wondered how around 7,000 BDR personnel could flee the BDR headquarters after committing the bloody mutiny in which 57 army officers and 17 others were killed.The role of the law enforcement agencies and the government was questioned, even alleging if the jawans were "allowed" to flee.Interestingly, the authority gave the media different numbers of fugitive BDR members in the last two and a half months--from the initial 2,000 to 1,800 to 1,000 and then only 250.Yesterday, the BDR authority provided brief information about the 25 fugitive BDR jawans and their photographs for publishing in newspapers."We are hopeful about arresting the absconding BDR jawans and when they are arrested more significant leads into the carnage will be gleaned from them," Faruk Khan yesterday said at a press briefing arranged at Pilkhana to update the media about the investigation and progress of the national probe committee report.However, the briefing ended with some unwanted debates over media reports on the army probe findings as Faruk Khan termed media reports "speculative".As the minister said he did not see the army probe report and that it has not yet been submitted to the government, reporters asked him how could he then term media reports "speculative"."In world history, coming out of a probe report on any incident within two days after its completion is unprecedented," Faruk said, adding that he does not think publishing the army probe report was necessary.Reporters asked him how and why did he term the news reports "speculative" while the army itself has not yet protested those news items.Faruk then tried to explain the word "speculative" as "writing a news item on a report which is not yet officially published".He said the army would do whatever is necessary in the force in the wake of the carnage on the basis of its probe report.Faruk Khan said if the government feels necessary to make probe reports public in the interest of the nation, it would publish them.He also said the national probe committee formed to investigate the carnage would submit its report in a few days.He quickly winded up the press conference amid arguments.BDR RESTRUCTURINGThe committee formed to report on restructuring and renaming of Bangladesh Rifles yesterday submitted a partial report, suggesting logos, mottos, designs of uniform, and new names for the border guards.The four-member body headed by BDR Director General Maj Gen Md Mainul Islam will submit the complete report in a few weeks.Chaired by Faruk Khan, the committee held a four-hour long meeting at the BDR headquarters from 9:00am.Elaborating on the partial report, Faruk said a questionnaire with 18 questions on restructuring of the BDR was sent to 6,000 people in the armed forces, police, ansar, Rapid Action Battalion, former BDR officials and bureaucrats.The report, prepared on the basis of suggestions of these people, has suggested 10 names for the border guards in English and Bangla, 10 mottos, and two designs of uniforms--one for those who will work in the office and a combat uniform for those on duty at the border.Replying to a query, Faruk said the government will see if the BDR jawans who revolted after declaration of the general amnesty by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on February 25 will come under it.The BDR DG told reporters that BDR men who revolted after February 25 across the country committed more grave crimes.STATUS OF INVESTIGATIONFaruk Khan said 1,390 people have so far been arrested in connection with the Pilkhana carnage and of them 580 were interrogated on remand.He also informed that 85 BDR jawans have made confessional statements under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) while statements of 500 others have been recorded under section 161 of the CrPC.He said 3,207 BDR jawans have so far been questioned about the carnage.A total of 1,581 BDR men have been arrested in 29 districts outside Dhaka for staging mutiny, breaking in arsenals and looting firearms following the Pilkhana carnage, he said, adding that the number of firearms missing from Pilkhana now stands at 93. These include revolvers, rifles and SMGs.