Bangladesh's prime mutiny suspect reportedly admits role

Jun 7, 2009, 8:49 GMT

Dhaka - One of the prime suspects of Bangladesh's February troop mutiny has confessed his role in planning and directing the 33-hour rebellion at the Dhaka headquarters of the country's border guards, a newspaper report said Sunday.

Deputy assistant director of the border force Touhidul Alam, admitted before a magistrate that the rebellious soldiers chose him to play a leadership role in the uprising, the Daily Star newspaper reported quoting an unnamed investigator.

Touhid, who also led a team negotiating with the government during the mutiny at Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) headquarters, appeared at the metropolitan magistrate court of AKM Emdadul Haque on Thursday after a lengthy interrogation.

The February 25-26 troop mutiny against commanders over pay discrimination left as many as 75 people dead, including 57 army officers.

The report said Touhid's confession also mentioned the names of several BDR troops who assisted him in conducting the mutiny.

He admitted that he concealed information on the killings of the army officers while taking part in the official talks with the prime minister to obtain general amnesty.

Touhid topped the list of 24 people named as planners in the official probe report published by the government late last month. That report mentioned pent-up grievances over pay discrimination as one of the prime reasons for the mutiny.

Authorities arrested as many as 3,000 members of the paramilitary force for their alleged involvement in the carnage.

The national probe committee suggested their trial under military law while local and international rights groups urged Bangladesh to conduct a fair trial into the rebellion under civil law.

More than 20 soldiers have reportedly died in custody since the investigation began in early March.