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The legacy of blood

Husain Imam
THE number of deaths, reported so far, in the BDR mutiny of February 25 is 73. According to latest statistics released from army headquarters, 53 of them were army officers from the rank of captain to major general and 3 of them were their family members. Seven army officers are still missing.
Mutiny is a misnomer so far as this tragic incident is concerned. It was a carnage perpetrated by a herd of wild beasts in the garb of humans on a scale far beyond anybody's imagination.
No word is enough to condemn this outrageous act of medieval-age barbarity committed by the lunatics. They have not only killed their own officers and badly damaged the enviable image
of a two centuries old tradition-rich institution like BDR, but have also struck at the very root of our existence as a sovereign, independent, democratic and peaceful nation. They must not go unpunished.
I. as an ordinary citizen of this country, express my profound sorrow at the sad demise of some of the brilliant sons of the soil and convey my deepest sympathy to the bereaved families. May Allah rest the departed souls in peace and help the bereaved families recover from the shock.
The government of Sheik Hasina has done more than its share. It quelled the rebellion and brought the situation under control in less than 36 hours, which saved the lives of 42 army officers and nearly hundred families who were held hostage by the rebels, and hun-
dreds of civilians living in the vicinity of the complex -- not to mention thwarting possible unrest among the 50,000 odd BDR jawans guarding the border.
All praise to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government for putting down an armed rebellion, restoring order in the BDR headquarter and keeping the much aggrieved armed
forces in confidence. They have, however, a long way to go, a lot of things to do. Going by the events of February 25 and 26, apart from what the prime minister told the Parliament last Sunday, there can be little doubt that there has been a deep routed conspiracy to destabilise the democratic government and the country, and the con-
spiracy is still on.
That being the case, it is imperative on the part of the government to do everything possible to unearth the facts, expose those who are behind the scene and ensure exemplary punishment to the real culprits as early as possible, albeit through proper investigation and due process of law, so that nobody in future dares to indulge in such senseless misadventures. It is good to hear that the government has constituted a high-powered inquiry committee with representation from all the related agencies including the armed forces.
Equally important is to immediately restore the command structure of BDR, win the confidence of those jawans who ware not involved in the incident, and make the organisation operational. We understand that the process is already underway. Another important task would be to restructure and reorganise the border force after careful analysis of the crisis.
Thanks to General Moeen, his colleagues and the troops under their command for the way they faced the situation under trying circumstances. They have shown extreme patience, kept cool and performed their duties in a most professional manner, and we
have reason to believe that they will continue to do so in future also.
Syed Badrul Ashan, editor, current affairs, The Daily Star writes: "Tragedy has been part of Bengali collective life for as long as we can remember. Death by violent means has been a pattern of life, of the end of life that we have known for ages."
Mr. Ahsan recalls the tragic events of death and violence froml971 onward that led to the brutal killing of hundreds of men in uniform and civilians --including the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibar Rahman, his family members, the four national leaders and a general turned president of the republic.
Mr. Ziauddin Choudhury, after having seen the tragic event of February 25 from 1 abroad, asks in his article: "When will this murderous legacy end?" If I may answer his question, nobody knows for sure.
However, there could probably a beginning of the end by completing the Bangabandhu murder case, now pending in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, without further delay, and by making sure that no murder goes without trial, no murderer goes unpunished.
Capt Husain Imam isaformer senior officer of the merchant navy.