Thirty-five former members of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), accused in the Explosive Substances Act 1908 case linked to the BDR mutiny in 2009, were released on bail from three units of the Kashimpur Central Jail Complex in Gazipur today (24 November).
Among those released, 32 were freed from Kashimpur Central Jail Part-2, two from Kashimpur Central Jail Part-1, and one from the Kashimpur High Security Central Jail.
Senior Jail Superintendent of Kashimpur Central Jail-2, Md Al Mamun, confirmed the release of the former BDR members. He said 32 former BDR personnel were released from Part-2.
"On Thursday (20 November), the court granted bail to 53 BDR members. Their bail documents reached the jail authorities this afternoon. After verification, the approved inmates were released in the evening," he added.
Senior Jail Superintendent Abu Noor Md Reza said two former BDR members were also released from Kashimpur Central Jail Part-1.
Kamrun Nahar, elder sister of released former BDR member Abdullah Al Mamun, said, "There was a time when I wondered whether I would ever get my brother back. Seeing him in front of me today feels very good. I thank everyone who worked and helped in this."
"Our father died worrying about brother, and mother has fallen ill. If we can place my younger brother in my mother's arms, she will finally feel some relief," she added.
On 25 February 2009, a mutiny broke out at the then BDR headquarters in Pilkhana, Dhaka. The incident left 57 army officers, including the then director general Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed, dead.
A total of 74 bodies were recovered. Two separate cases, one for murder and another under the Explosive Substances Control Act 1908, were filed the following day and on 28 February.
In the murder case, 850 people were charged, making it the largest criminal case in the country's history.
On 5 November 2013, the trial court sentenced 152 people to death, 160 to life imprisonment, and 256 to various jail terms, while 278 were acquitted.