Pilkhana Massacre: Formation of National Independence Committee Postponed

In connection with the horrific massacre at the then-BDR (now BGB) headquarters in Pilkhana on February 25-26, 2009, the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Public Security Division informed the court that the formation of the proposed National Independence Committee will not be possible at this time.

The reason given was that the appeal hearings in the murder cases related to the massacre are still ongoing in the Appellate Division, and another case is being heard in a temporary court set up at the Baksibazar Parade Ground under the Department of Prisons in Dhaka. Given these circumstances, the proposed committee’s formation could conflict with the court’s orders.

Deputy Attorney General Tanim Khan presented this information before the High Court bench, which consisted of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debashish Ray Chowdhury, on Sunday. During the hearing, the petitioner’s lawyer, Tanveer Ahmed, was also present.

The court has set the next hearing for January 5, 2024.

A notification signed by Mohammad Mofizul Islam, Assistant Secretary of the Public Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs, stated that the government is taking the matter seriously due to its national importance. However, no further decisions can be made at this stage as the two relevant cases are still pending in court.

In October, lawyers Tanveer Ahmed and Biplob Kumar Poddar filed a petition with the Supreme Court seeking the formation of a National Independence Committee to investigate the “massacre” at the BDR headquarters on February 25-26, 2009.

Following this, the petitioners requested on November 3 that the National Independence Investigation Committee or Commission be formed and that a “Shaheed Sena Day” (Martyr’s Army Day) be declared.

On November 5, the High Court conducted the initial hearing of the petition and issued an order, instructing the Home Secretary to address the matter and submit a report to the court within 10 days.

Following this, the petition was scheduled for further hearing on December 2, and the state informed the court that the process to form the National Independence Committee had begun, requesting an additional two weeks. As a result, the court set December 15 for a ruling. Today’s hearing brought the matter back to the court’s attention.