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Rebellion coming to end in Bangladesh as disarmament starts

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-02-26 13:37

DHAKA, February  -- The rebellion by border guards Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) is all set to end as thousands of rebel soldiers started to surrender early on Thursday, nearly 20 hours after they staged revolt against their army officers.

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Quamrul Islam, Bangladesh's State Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, early on Thursday, after visiting the BDR Headquarters to observe the disarmament process, said the death toll of the mutiny may stand at "more or less 50."  

Earlier, at least 30 others were confirmed to be injured, including civilians suffering stray bullet wounds.

The BDR soldiers, whose primary task is guarding the Bangladesh frontier with India and Myanmar, staged the revolt at their headquarters in capital Dhaka on Wednesday morning to press for their demands concerning their salary and other benefits.

The rebels in the morning opened fire at the army officers, who commanded the BDR soldiers on deputation, complaining that they are mistreated by the officers.

Army troops were called out from Dhaka Cantonment to put down the unrest. They, as well as police and elite-force Rapid Action Battalion, took positions surrounding the headquarters in the west of Dhaka city with cannons and machine guns.

In the afternoon, Bangladesh's Prime Minister Hasina had a trouble-shooting talk with a 14-member rebel delegation at her official residence.

After hectic negotiations, Hasina announced general amnesty for the rebels and assured meeting of their demands gradually while the BDR representatives promised the prime minister to lay down arms.

Despite the consensus with prime minister, the BDR soldiers opened fresh firing in the evening and declined to lay down arms, demanding a written assurance from the prime minister on amnesty and full withdrawal of army from all 46 BDR units countrywide.

Against this backdrop, fresh talks between the rebels representatives and the Home Minister Sahara Khatun took place where the mutineer finally agreed to surrender.

After hours of closed-door talks that ended after Wednesday midnight, the country's female home minister entered into the besieged BDR Headquarters to make the rebels disarmed.

"We expect there will be congenial atmosphere following the disarmament," Home Minister Sahara Khatun told state-run BTV at a small ceremony early on Thursday inside the BDR Headquarters where mutineers surrendered their arms to her.

Meanwhile, she said she has given her government's assurance to the rebel soldiers that army troops will not attack on them.

The home ministry will supervise the entire disarmament process and look after the arms, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, State Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Cooperatives told reporters here.

Nanak, who negotiated with the rebels, also said the government will take pragmatic measures to deal with post-disarmament situation.

"Since there are around 15,000 BAR soldiers, the disarmament process will take time," the law state minister Islam said.

"We expect situation will return to normalcy after the disarmament," said ruling party Awami League MP Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh who was also a member of the government negotiating team.