Director General of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) Major General Mainul Islam yesterday said that the border force had fought and overcome many of the difficulties it faced since the bloody mutiny erupted during Rifles Week a year ago.The BDR director general was addressing the annual BDR Darbar yesterday, which began at around 11am, in an auditorium next to the Darbar Hall. The Darbar was held as part of the annual Bangladesh Rifles Week programme, which has been curtailed to a single day this year, as a mark of respect to those who lost their lives in the BDR mutiny that was sparked during the annual event in February last year.BDR regained people's confidence in the last one year since the mutiny, which is the main achievement of the force, he mentioned. All civil and military officers of the BDR, including JCOs and NCOs, were present at the special Darbar that started at about 11:00am at a multipurpose shed, which is used for practicing indoor games.The Darbar was not held at BDR Darbar Hall as a special court has been set up there for holding mutiny trial.The Director General recalled the incident that took place in the Darbar Hall on February 25-26 last year. "The heinous killings and mutiny have belitled us before the nation," he said."We are observing the curtailed BDR week this year showing respect to the army officers killed during the Peelkhana mutiny and hatred towards those who commited the crime." He also expressed gratitude to the role of the prime minister in tackling the mutiny and violence in a democratic way.Though many people think that BDR is weak on the borders, the force is not weak at all now, the Director General said. At present, BSF has more border outposts than the BDR, he said and added that Bangladesh would also increase the number of its outposts and reduce system loss.In this context, he said the work is underway to set up 90 new outposts.BDR officers and jawans, who carried out their duties in 2009 exceptionally well, received awards on the occasion that ended at about 12:20pm.Special dinner was served and milad and doa Mahfil held at the BDR hostels at Peelkhana.The BDR mutiny on February 25-26 last year erupted during a Darbar arranged for a similar occasion. The mutineers killed 74 people, including 57 army officials, and the mutiny also spread to other BDR units in the country. This is the second Darbar being held there after the mutiny. The first one was held on August 17 last year.The Government has approved a new name, Border Guards Bangladesh, a new uniform, insignia and organogram for the border force as part of its reformation in wake of the mutiny. Maj Gen Islam asked the border guards to work hard so that they could regain their previous reputation. He said arms and firearms were recovered from many residences after the mutiny, but no witness was coming forward to give testimony on the mater. Regarding the "demands" of the border guards, which the mutineers had expressed last year, the Director General said: "Demands cannot be realised by terrorism, commiting so many killings." He said the criminals must be punished. "How can anyone be spared?" "The jawans who were present in last year's Darbar were weak hearted. If they had taken action such tragedy would not have taken place."
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