DHAKA: The special-court hearing on charges against the rebel BDR members of 24 Rifles Battalion in the Pilkhana carnage case was adjourned till October 5 after the third day’s proceedings Monday that generated much heat amid war of words.

During the hearing, the mutineers and the plaintiff crossed their swords in the dock, as the rebels themselves challenged every point placed by the prosecution side to prove their grievous offences.

Questioning Subedar Matiur Rahman, the plaintiff and number-one witness of the mutiny-and-carnage case, during the cross-examination of his submissions ended at 11:40 am, before a 20-minute recess.

Twenty-nine of the accused BDR jawans quizzed Motiur while 3 jawans quizzed Major Jayedee Ahsan Habib in cross-examination over the charges against them.

Accused sepoy Asaduzzaman claimed three more accused like him are working at Pilkhana. They don’t have to face trial, he deplored.

In reply, the court asked him to present his views during arguments.

“You said that you didn’t know me earlier. So how do you know my name and number seeing me one day?” Another sepoy, Md. Moniruzzaman, shot the question at witness Matiur.

Replying to the question, the witness said it is the court to decide on the matter.

Three of the accused soldiers claimed that they saved major Jayedee during the mass mutiny by giving shelter and later on helped him to leave the headquarters by car.

 “I allowed you to use my mobile phone for communication, then why should I be accused of trapping? I tried to save you with all effort,” said one of the accused to Major Jayedee during the hearing.

But Jayedee rejected their claim and said the accused BDR member trapped him and it was his own technique that helped out of the danger.

“As several splinters hit me, I fell down to the ground and using the learning from my previous training on life-saving technique after bullet injury I tried to go out by crawling,” said the army officer about his traumatic experience of a veritable hell.

The court was, thereafter, rose for the day to go on a long adjournment.

After the court adjourned, Lt. Commander Aziz told reporters that there are 64 witnesses in the case against 24 Rifles Battalion members who will be facing the same cross-questioning after the court resumes on October 5.

Monday was the second day set for cross-questioning and third day of the trial proceedings that started Saturday.

BDR Director-General Major-General Rafiqul Islam started the third-day proceedings at the special court-5 established at Durbar Hall of the BDR headquarters at 9 am.

Lt Col AKM Golam Rabbani, Maj Sayeed Hasan Taposh and Deputy Attorney-General Advocate M Suhrawardy assisted the DG in conducting the trial.

Earlier on Sunday, another 150 BDR Jawans cross-questioned witness Subedar Matiur Rahman.
BDST: 1231 HRS, SEPT 6, 2010