Bangladesh releases 178 troops jailed for 2009 mutiny after 16 years
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Bangladesh has released 178 former paramilitary troops who were detained following a deadly mutiny in 2009.
The two-day revolt, led by members of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), claimed 74 lives, including dozens of senior army officers. The mutiny, which began in Dhaka and spread across the country, posed a significant challenge to then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government, just weeks into her tenure.
While thousands of soldiers were arrested in the aftermath, many trials were criticised for procedural flaws. Over 150 were initially sentenced to death, and others faced long-term imprisonment. The men released on Thursday had been acquitted of murder charges but remained in custody on allegations of explosives violations, with their cases unresolved for over a decade.
One of the freed men, Abul Kashem, 38, expressed his relief, saying, "I can't express my feelings in words. I am returning to my family. It feels like stepping out of darkness into the light."
Families gathered outside prisons in Dhaka, overwhelmed with emotion. Shiuly Akter, the wife of a released man, said, "It feels like a dream. My husband was just a novice in the BDR and knew nothing about the mutiny or the killings. What happened to us was unfair."
The mass release follows the recent fall of Sheikh Hasina's administration after 15 years in power, toppled by a student-led uprising. Critics had long accused her government of suppressing dissent and mishandling the investigation into the mutiny. A probe conducted during her tenure attributed the revolt to grievances among rank-and-file soldiers over pay and working conditions, but her political opponents allege she conspired to weaken the military's influence.
With Hasina out of power, families of victims have pushed for a fresh investigation.
Last month, the interim government agreed to reopen the case, citing unresolved questions surrounding the mutiny. During the revolt, mutineers seized thousands of weapons from the BDR headquarters, leading to widespread violence as the insurrection gained traction across the country before the army restored order.