Pilkhana massacre : 40 BDR personnel granted bail

A Dhaka court has granted bail to 40 former BDR personnel accused in the explosives case linked to the 2009 Pilkhana massacre.

Judge Ibrahim Miah of Dhaka Special Tribunal-2 issued the bail order on May 8, which was confirmed on Monday (May 12) by Chief Prosecutor Alhaj Borhan Uddin.

The accused include Rezaul Karim, Shahjahan, Rafiqul Islam, Saiful Islam, Shamim, Wali Ullah, Habibur Rahman, and others.

Earlier, on January 19, the same court granted bail to 178 accused, who were released from Keraniganj and Kashimpur jails on January 23.

The trial of 834 accused under the Explosives Act began in 2010 but remained largely suspended as the prosecution focused on the murder case. This led to significant delays in the explosives case proceedings.

In contrast, the trial in the main murder case concluded on November 5, 2013. The court sentenced 152 to death, 160 to life imprisonment, and 256 to varying prison terms. A total of 278 were acquitted.

On November 27, 2017, the High Court upheld the death penalty for 139 convicts, life imprisonment for 185, and reduced sentences for 228 others. It acquitted 283.

Amid renewed demands for a reinvestigation following a change in government, the state formed an independent commission on December 24, 2024. Retired Major General A L M Fazlur Rahman was appointed to lead the commission, tasked with completing its work within 90 days.