Sacked BDR members demand reinstatement

Hundreds of dismissed members of the erstwhile Bangladesh Rifles (now Border Guard Bangladesh, or BGB) demonstrated in front of its headquarters at Pilkhana, Dhaka yesterday morning demanding reinstatement to their jobs and compensation.

They began the sit-in at the BGB gate-4 around 10:00am. They termed their expulsion “unjust dismissal”. Their family members also took part in the sit-in.

A large contingent of police and BGB members has been deployed to the area to maintain order.

The protesters, many of whom lost their jobs following the 2009 BDR carnage, claimed they were not involved in the incident but were still punished without “due process”.

“Our only demand is reinstatement with compensation,” said Fazlur Rahman, a former subedar major.

“We sought a meeting with the BGB director general to submit our memorandum. Our five-member delegation tried to engage, but we had hand over the memorandum at the gate through to a BGB official through a senior police officer. Until we receive a clear response, our movement will continue.”

Afzalur Rahman, another expelled BDR member, said, “During the 2009 BDR mutiny, I was posted in Khagrachhari, far from Dhaka. Yet, I was jailed for six months. I was not involved. There’s a difference between mutiny and murder—innocent people like us are being punished unjustly.”

The demonstrators said they want justice for the 2009 incident but also demanded that those not directly involved be cleared and reinstated.

Meanwhile, the BDR Kalyan Parishad held a sit-in at the Central Shaheed Minar in the morning, pressing a two-point demand.

Their two demands are reinstatement of dismissed BDR personnel with full benefits and the release of those still in custody despite being granted bail.