After the Human Rights Watch called for a halt to the BDR trials, the Border Guard Bangladesh yesterday said it had been conducting the BDR trials responsibly, transparently and following laws of the land.

On July 4, an HRW report claimed that the mass trials for the February, 2009 BDR mutiny was fundamentally flawed and the accused had been subjected to gross human rights violations.

Releasing the report at a press conference in the capital, officials of the

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New York-based rights body had called upon the government to immediately halt the trials.

The BGB in a press statement yesterday described HRW's remarks as "thoughtless” and “illogical” and said the rights body's report as a whole was "baseless” and withan“ill motive”.

It said the HRW had undermined the laws of the country by demanding a halt to the trials of 2009 BDR mutiny and the carnage.

The provocative demand had surprised and concerned the paramilitary force, the statement said.

The BGB accused the rights body of creating confusion among people about the laws of the land, hurting the morale of the members of the force, and depicting a negative image of Bangladesh in the international arena.

About the death of detainees in custody, the BGB said the HRW's report was exaggerated. It said they died in

the hospital due to sickness, old-age complications and incurable diseases.

The BGB also said the accused were enjoying all kinds of facilities like appointment of their lawyers, defending oneself and placing witnesses.

The statement said all arrested BDR jawans, including the ones detained in connection with murder, arson and looting, were sent to the civil jail. All of them were in the jail authorities' custody and were having all facilities the jail code allowed them to have, it added.

The statement said the accused were provided with at least 27 days to over six months' time to prepare their defence. They were also given sufficient time to produce their witnesses and many of them had produced their witnesses.

It said the trials of the hated and heinous crime that took the lives of 74 people, including 57 army officers, were being conducted

according to the directive of the Supreme Court.

The cases filed under Penal Code and Arms Act were being conducted under the existing laws of the land.

It said during the trials the courts willingly asked the accused about their illness, their places in jail, legal issues, job issues, family problems and any kind of complaint. All complaints were sorted out immediately according to their rights, it added.

The statement said the courts were conducting the trial in a responsible and fair manner. Journalists and anybody could be present in the courtroom during the trial which proves its transparency.

The statement said 11 special courts were formed in line with the Bangladesh Rifles Order, 1972, to conduct the trials. THals of 52 cases had been completed and trials of four other cases were underway.

The trials had begun on January 5 last year.