Bangladesh army reaffirms support for Government

Bangladesh's powerful army has reaffirmed its support for the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after a mutiny by paramilitary…

Bangladesh's powerful army has reaffirmed its support for the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after a mutiny by paramilitary troops killed more than 70 people -mostly army officers.

"Let me tell you all again that the Bangladesh army is subservient to the government," army chief General Moeen U. Ahmed told reporters.

"We are a people's army serving the nation and upholding democracy. Please stay calm. We are trying to address the situation and resolve (disputes) with the help of everyone," he said after a meeting with Hasina at her residence late on Friday.

Seventy-two officers are still missing today after a two-day mutiny by Bangladesh’s border guards, as the death toll rose to 76 with the discovery of 10 more bodies in mass graves at the force’s headquarters, the military said.

READ MORE

Ms Hasina met with political allies at her home to discuss the uprising, with the group issuing a call for national unity.

Ms Hasina, who took office in January, persuaded the guards to surrender on Thursday with promises of an amnesty coupled with threats of military force. But she said yeserday there would be no amnesty for the killers, and her government gave border guards across the country 24 hours today to return to their posts or report to a local police station.

The impoverished South Asian nation has suffered several military coups since independence in 1971. This week's mutiny by Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) border guards was over pay and command and was not politically motivated, officials and analysts say.

The mutiny came as a stern test for Ms Hasina, who took office last month after winning elections in December that brought to an end two years of emergency rule by an army-backed government.

Ms Hasina has the task of trying to convince much-needed foreign investors and aid donors she can bring stability to a country where 40 per cent of the 140 million population live in poverty.

The mutiny ended late on Thursday when the rebels laid down their arms after an amnesty offer, made by Ms Hasina's long-standing rival, opposition leader and former premier Begum Khaleda Zia, offered to cooperate with the government in its investigations into the mutiny but criticised Ms Hasina for offering the BDR rebels an amnesty.

"This gave them time to kill more people and conceal their brutality," Mr Khaleda told reporters late on Friday.

More than 50 bodies were recovered on Friday, many from a mass grave, with BDR commander major general Shakil Ahmed among the dead. BDR officers are usually drawn from regular army units and the mutiny was launched as officers arrived for a meeting.

An unknown number of people were still missing and the death toll could rise to more than 100, officials have said.

Mr Moeen said the deaths of so many army officers was an irreparable loss for the army and the country.

He spoke as rumors swirled through the capital that he might step down or that the army might launch "reprisal" strikes over the killing of so many of their colleagues.

Former army chief lieutenant general Harunur Rashid warned that the mutiny might not be an isolated incident.

"It may be a conspiracy to destroy the progress of the new democratic government," Rashid told the Prothom Alonewspaper.

As the search for victims and survivors went on, a day of mourning was observed on Saturday, with flags flown at half mast across the country and special prayers said for the dead.

In Dhaka, activity on the streets appeared normal. Offices and schools were closed for the weekend.

Home minister Shahara Khatun said there was no fear of a deterioration of law and order or a repeat of the mutiny, which spread to about a dozen smaller towns across Bangladesh.

But police said many BDR soldiers had fled the headquarters complex with arms and ammunition, as well as money and jewelry they had taken from the homes of dead officers. More than 200 BDR soldiers have been detained already across the country.

Reuters