27 ex-BDR personnel released from Kashimpur Jail

A total of 27 former Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) personnel were released on bail from Kashimpur Central Jail in Gazipur after 15 years in prison in an Explosive Substances Act case filed over the 2009 Pilkhana carnage.

According to prison authorities, the former BDR personnel started walking out of jail at 10 am on Thursday (May 15). Their relatives were present at the jail gate at this time.

Among them, 12 were released from Kashimpur High Security Prison, five from Kashimpur-1 and 10 from Kashimpur-2.

Earlier on May 12, a Dhaka court granted bail to 40 accused in an Explosive Substances Act case filed over the 2009 Pilkhana carnage.

On January 19, the same court granted bail to 178 accused over the Pilkhana carnage.

On December 24 last year, a seven-member independent commission was formed to re-investigate the 2009 Pilkhana massacre at the Pilkhana headquarters of the Bangladesh Rifles – now Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) – which claimed 74 lives, including 57 army officers.

Calls for reinvestigating the BDR massacre grew louder following the fall of the Awami League regime on August 5.