Hasina Ordered ‘Shoot on Sight’: Bangladesh Probe Links Ex-PM to 2009 BDR Killings
Bangladesh probe finds ex-PM Sheikh Hasina personally commanded 2009 killings.
A state-appointed commission in Bangladesh has concluded that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina personally ordered security forces to open fire on mutinous border guards during the 2009 BDR revolt, resulting in the deaths of 74 people, including 57 army officers. The findings, submitted to the interim government on Saturday, directly implicate Hasina in what has been described as a premeditated massacre rather than a spontaneous response to rebellion.
The six-member commission, headed by a High Court judge, revealed that Hasina instructed the army and police to “shoot on sight without asking any questions” after the mutiny erupted on 25 February 2009 at the Bangladesh Rifles headquarters in Dhaka. Witnesses testified that the then-Prime Minister rejected all negotiation proposals and instead demanded immediate and overwhelming force, leading to indiscriminate firing and summary executions even after the mutineers had begun surrendering.
According to the 1,200-page report, at least 74 individuals were killed, among them senior army officers who had been taken shelter inside the Pilkhana compound. The commission documented evidence of torture, bodies being dumped in sewers and the Hazaribagh tannery area, and a systematic cover-up orchestrated from the highest levels of the Awami League government. Several officers who attempted mediation were allegedly threatened with court-martial if they disobeyed Hasina’s directives.
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The inquiry further established that Hasina’s administration deliberately suppressed earlier investigations and coerced survivors and families into silence through intimidation and financial inducements. The commission has recommended that Sheikh Hasina, along with several former ministers, senior police officials, and military officers of that period, be prosecuted for crimes against humanity and murder before an international or special tribunal.
The current interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has vowed to act swiftly on the recommendations, marking the first time a formal investigation has held Sheikh Hasina directly accountable for the 2009 bloodbath. The findings are expected to intensify calls for her extradition from India, where she has lived since fleeing Bangladesh in August 2024 following a student-led uprising that ended her 15-year rule.
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