A government-appointed commission investigating the violent 2009 Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) mutiny that killed 74 people, including 57 senior army officers, concluded Sunday that ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directly ordered the massacre, with evidence pointing to a conspiracy to weaken the Bangladesh Army and foreign interference.
The National Independent Investigation Commission, formed by the interim government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus after Hasina’s August 2024 ouster, submitted its 453-page report to Yunus at his Jamuna residence. Commission Chairman Major General (retd) A.L.M. Fazlur Rahman, briefing media at the BRiCM building in Dhaka, named Hasina as the mastermind, with former MP Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh as the “principal coordinator” who received her “green signal” for the killings.
Sheikh Hasina Ordered 2009 Bangladesh Mass Killings: Commissionhttps://t.co/jVLKlfKSh9 pic.twitter.com/BYXJjIrUdj
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The report implicates several Awami League leaders, including Hasina’s former security adviser Major General (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique, ex-army chief General Moeen U Ahmed, and former DGFI head Lt Gen Molla Fazle Akbar. It alleges the mutiny—erupting February 25–26 at BDR headquarters in Pilkhana, Dhaka, and spreading nationwide—was orchestrated weeks after Hasina’s election to consolidate power by destabilizing the military.
“The involvement of a foreign force was strongly evident,” the report states, with Rahman accusing India of plotting to “destabilise Bangladesh and weaken the Bangladesh Army,” citing fears of sovereignty breach similar to 1971. India, Hasina’s refuge since fleeing to New Delhi, has not responded to the claims, which have strained bilateral ties.
Yunus welcomed the findings, saying: “Through this commission report, the truth has finally been revealed.” A prior Hasina-era probe blamed soldiers’ grievances over pay, but critics long alleged her role in the carnage to curb military influence.
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The mutiny, during BDR Week, saw rebels loot residences and kill officers, including BDR DG Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed. Hasina, 78, defies court orders to return; her opponents view the report as vindication amid ongoing trials for 2024 protest crackdowns.
The government vows full implementation, including prosecutions, to prevent recurrence and strengthen democratic institutions.
