Pilkhana carnage: Victims' families to pursue justice with ICT

Families of the victims of the 2009 Pilkhana carnage today (28 November) said they will take to the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) to seek justice.

They will file a complaint with the tribunal within the next two weeks to ensure the actual facts of the killings and the trial of the conspirators, said Advocate Shakib Rahman, son of the late Colonel Qudrat Elahi, at a press conference in Raowa Hall in Mohakhali.

They also demanded designating the 74 individuals, including 57 army officers, who lost their lives in the Pilkhana carnage as martyrs, declaring 25 February as Pilkhana Tragedy Day.

Alleging that the conspirators of the BDR massacre were in power during the Awami League government, Shakib said, "The current government has not given us even five minutes of time. Now, we hope the government will provide security to the victims' families who are filing the complaint. Because the people we will sue were in power during the previous government.

Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, and Mirza Azam will be named in the complaint, he said, adding that according to the Doctrine of Command Responsibility of the international law, former prime minister Sheikh Hasina can also be brought to justice. 

"As the then chief of the Ministry of Defense, she cannot evade responsibility. We will also file a complaint against her…In addition, the then army officers will be mentioned, especially those who were DGFI officers. We will also mention some journalists who created false narratives during that time."

Shakib further said although the BDR mutiny case, going on for almost 16 years, is in the Appellate Division, the latest updates are unknown to the victims' family members. 

"No communication has been made with us during this long period of time regarding the case. The victims do not know the current situation with the case. So, how will the people of the country know?"

Rakin Ahmed Bhuiyan, son of then BDR chief Major General Shakil Ahmed, said, "The previous fascist Awami League government did not allow cases of enforced disappearances and murderers to be tried. Since there is no obstacle now, the investigation into the BDR mutiny case should be completed fast and those involved should be punished under the law."

He also demanded that those responsible for the accident Sarjis Alam and Hasnat Abdullah survived yesterday be brought to book, as well as justice for the lawyer who was killed in Chattogram on 26 November during an unrest centring the former Iskcon leader being sent to jail. 

On behalf of the victims' families, Nahrin Ferdousi, wife of the late Colonel Mojibul Haque, raised some demands which included declaring 25 February as "Shaheed Shena Dibosh" before February 2025, as well as hoisting the national flag at half-mast across the country on that day.

Demanding a fresh investigation into the massacre, she said, "Let us be informed about the progress of the probe commission. Let all previous investigation reports be made public."

She also demanded that the 57 army officers be given the status of martyrs in an official gazette and the Pilkhana tragedy be included in school textbooks.

Fabliha Bushra, daughter of the late Lieutenant Colonel Lutfur Rahman Khan, Fauzia Rashid, wife of the late Lt Col Kazi Robi Rahman and his brother Kazi Oli Rahman, Dr Mamun, brother of the late Colonel Ershad, Ashraful Alam Hannan, son of the late Central Subedar Major Nurul Islam, and Labi Rahman, wife of the late Colonel Qudrat Elahi, were present, among others.