Staff Correspondent, Dhaka
The National Independent Investigation Commission is reviewing "political and foreign involvement" as well as "violations of military law" in the 2009 Pilkhana massacre at the then-BDR headquarters in Dhaka.
At a press conference held at the BRICM building in the capital’s Science Laboratory area on Thursday, Major General (Retd) ALM Fazlur Rahman, chairman of the commission formed by the interim government, presented a written statement.
He said that 37 individuals, including army personnel, have testified regarding the killings that took place on February 25–26, 2009.
Fazlur Rahman, the commission’s head and former director general of BDR (now BGB), said: “The investigation focuses on uncovering the true nature of the incident, identifying those responsible, determining failures in preventive measures, ensuring the real culprits are included in existing cases, and examining domestic and foreign conspiracies.”
The commission reported that testimonies have been collected from army officials, BDR personnel, and families of the victims.
Discussing challenges, the chairman said: “Many witnesses have passed away, some are missing, and others are residing abroad, making evidence collection difficult. The passage of time has also impacted the ability of witnesses to recall specific details.”
To probe foreign involvement, the commission has decided to contact embassies, with letters already sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Authorities have also been requested to impose travel bans on several suspects.
Despite the complexities of gathering information from a 16-year-old event, the commission said that the investigation is progressing systematically. It has acquired preserved documents and evidence from officials, which will be crucial in uncovering the truth.
The commission mentioned that independently collected materials will aid in preserving historical accuracy and affirmed its commitment to a thorough investigation to reveal the real facts.
