510 BDR men dismissed for carrying arms, shooting

Dhaka, Apr.6 (ANI): Bangladesh Rifles authorities have dismissed 510 riflemen who were on training during last year's BDR mutiny on charge of carrying firearms and shooting on the second day of the mutiny.

The Daily Star quoted official sources, as saying that the 510 soldiers were recruited in the 76th batch before the February 25-26 mutiny and posted at different battalions. During the mutiny they were on a common training at Rifles Training Centre and School in Chittagong.

The soldiers were discharged from service in phases and the BDR investigations launched after the bloody mutiny found their involvement in the mutiny.

The sources add 528 soldiers were recruited in the 76th batch, but 18 of them were sacked before the Pilkhana carnage, which left 74 people including 57 army officers killed.

The authorities in a press release yesterday said the names and photographs of the dismissed members have been published at its official website on http://www.bdr.gov.bd.

Moreover, the names and photographs of 59 absconding BDR soldiers have also been posted on the website.

Of the 59 soldiers, 24 were absconding since the mutiny and one of them was arrested later. Thirty-six of the rest were at their workplace after the mutiny, but later they went missing. (ANI)