Dhaka: The Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) on denied allegations that some of the 41 deaths of the
paramilitary soldiers since the February mutiny in the border
force resulted from "torture".
"Recently, some media outlets have run misleading news on
the death of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) members since the BDR
headquarters killing," the border guards said in a statement.
It pointed out that some the reports indicated that the
BDR soldiers died in custody and due to torture.
"But no BDR member died as a result of torture while in
custody since the February events," the statement added.
It said Of the 41 people, 14 had died of heart attacks,
eight had committed suicide, three had died in accidents and
the rest had died of other medical ailments including stroke,
cancer and diabetes-related conditions.
A handful of the deaths had occurred while the detained
guards were on parole, it said, but did not specify how many.
The BDR in an earlier statement two months ago, however,
said the detained soldiers who committed suicide might have
failed to cope with the mental pressure associated with the
guilt of committing brutal murders of Army officers.
Several international rights groups, including Human
Rights Watch, expressed concern over the alleged custody
deaths of suspected rebels.
Fifty-seven Army officers who were serving in the BDR on
deputation, including chief of the paramilitary border troops
Major General Shakil Ahmed, were killed in the massacre, which
mutineers said was prompted by a sense of what they described
as "deprivation".
Over 1800 BDR soldiers were detained following the
massacre. A police investigation is underway while the
government awaits a Supreme Court opinion about the mode of
the mutineers` trial.
The government has sought the apex court decision on if
there was any bar in trying them under the Army Act.
Bureau Report
