Dhaka: A key accused in last year`s bloody BDR mutiny which claimed lives of 57 Army officers died of heart attack here as he awaited trial in jail along with 800 other Bangladesh Rifles` guards, officials said on Friday.
Jail officials said 54-year-old BDR deputy assistant director Abdur Rahim died at the state-run Dhaka Medical College Hospital overnight as he was rushed to the facility from the jail last night with complains of chest pain.
Rahim, who was promoted as an officer from an ordinary soldier, was a major suspect of the February 25-26 BDR mutiny at the paramilitary force`s Pilkhana headquarters in Dhaka where 74 people were killed.
He was also leader of a rebel delegation who met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on February 26 to discuss about their demands.
Rahim`s death came two weeks after police formally charged 801 BDR soldiers and 23 civilians for February 25-26 carnage kicking off the trial of the suspected massacre culprits at a Speedy Trial Tribunal under civil Penal Code after months of investigations.
The suspects were charged with offences including attempt to murder, injuring the officers with dangerous weapons, holding officers and their families` hostage, looting the armoury, using firearms without authority and destroying evidence of murders by hiding bodies.
"The killings were pre-planned... They (rebel soldiers) mowed their officers down in cold blood, using some 2,500 weapons which they had looted from the BDR armoury," chief investigator of criminal investigation department Abdul Kahhar Akand said told reporters after submitting the
chargesheet.
PTI
