Protesters Break Police Barricades at Shahbagh

Former BDR (Bangladesh Rifles) members and families of the slain BDR personnel broke police barricades and staged a sit-in at Shahbagh on Thursday (January 9). They marched from the Central Shaheed Minar and occupied the Shahbagh area.

Earlier in the morning, during a press conference at the Central Shaheed Minar, dismissed BDR members claimed that the trial process in the Pilkhana massacre case has become a farce. They demanded the withdrawal of all false charges and the release of imprisoned members. The protesters also criticized the absence of court proceedings in Keraniganj, calling it a conspiracy.

Describing the Pilkhana massacre as premeditated, the demonstrators alleged that BDR members were victims of an anti-national plot. They vowed to continue their movement until their three-point demands were met.

Key Demands:

• Release of imprisoned individuals in connection with the Pilkhana massacre.
• Cancellation of all false cases.
• Reinstatement of dismissed BDR personnel to their jobs.
• The protesters alleged that the previous government deliberately implicated BDR members in a preplanned scheme. They also called for a reinvestigation of the Pilkhana massacre case.

 

Additionally, the demonstrators demanded compensation for victims and recognition of February 25 as "Army Killing Day" to commemorate the tragedy.