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Yet another BDR man dies

Relatives allege excruciating torture; authorities sit today to discuss deaths

Staff Correspondent
Yet anotiter Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) member died in 'mysterious circumstances' at the city's Pilkhana headquarters yesterday.
The deceased, lance nayek Mobarak Hossain of ID-48235, fled the HQ shortly before the 33-hour mutiny ended on February 26, and later reported back for duties.
Following his death, the number of BDR troops who have died since March 9 stands at four. Of them, three died at Pilkhana and one in Joypurhat. BDR central mosque's pesh imam (someone who leads prayers) too died during the same period.
Mobarak's relatives alleged that he was tortured to death. They claimed he was in good health when he returned to Pilkhana.
He was posted to Rifle Security Unit in 29 Battalion in Chittagong, and came to Dhaka on February 18 to join the BDR week.
Mobarak's cousin said, "He had to undergo excruciating torture and died an agonising death."
He talked to reporters at Dhaka Medical College (DMC) morgue on condition of anonymity.
Sources in DMC Hospital said Mobarak's wrists, arms, knees and shoulders were swollen and they bore blood clots.
The border guard was rushed to the hospital unconscious by
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said the lance nayek's wrists, arms, knees and shoulders were swollen and badly bruised.
Two police constables rushed him to DMC Hospital at around 10:40am. Doctors on duty there announced he had already died.
Mahbub, one of the constables. said they don't know anything All they did was shift him from thePilkhana hospital.
Contacted. BDR Director General (DG) Bug Gen Md Mainul Islam said, "Perhaps, he [Mobarak) died of a heart attack. I'm not sure though about the cause of his death. That will be known after postmortem."
Asked about the injury marks, he said. “You know how soldiers suffered injuries while fleeing the headquarters. The marks on his body might have resulted from those wounds."
The deaths at regular intervals bring into question the soundness of the measures taken to protect suspected mutineers, most of who are considered vital witnesses to the vicious killings of 74 people including 55 army officers.
Meanwhile, Commerce Minister Faruk Khan last night told The Daily Star that the BDR authorities will meet at Pilkhana at 3:00pm today to discuss the recent deaths of jawans.
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shafique Ahmed said only
after receiving the postmortem reports can they confirm whether the troops died naturally or were killed.
If the deaths were unnatural, murder cases can be filed, he told The Daily Star.
"I should not be making further comments at this moment."
The law will take its own course once the autopsy reports are available, he added
Replying to another query, he said. "There's no question of ordering any probe into the jawans' deaths as we have yet to get the post-mortem reports."
Sources said immediately after Mobarak's death, BDR officials informed the commerce minister that one jawan had died of heart attack.
Earlier, on March 17, sepoy Monir Hossain died at Pilkhana. l\vo days before that, BDR man Waheduzzaman allegedly committed suicide at the barracks of Battalion 3 in Joypurhat.
On March 9, nayck subedar Mozammel Haq reportedly took his life by hanging himself from a bathroom ceiling at BDR 44 Battalion Building inside Pilkhana headquarters.
l\vo days later. Pesh Imam of the BDR mosque Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman died at DMCH.