Bangladesh Probe Accuses Ex-PM Hasina, India of Role in 2009 Army Massacre

A government-appointed commission investigating the deadly 2009 Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) mutiny has accused former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of ordering the massacre of senior army officers and alleged that India played a “strong role” in efforts to weaken the Bangladesh military.

The two-day uprising, which began at the BDR headquarters in Dhaka and spread nationwide, left 74 people dead  including dozens of high-ranking army officials  in what remains one of the country’s worst military tragedies.

The findings were released by the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus, which took power last year after a student-led movement forced Hasina from office. The 78-year-old former leader has since taken refuge in India, defying court orders to return home.

According to the commission, led by ALM Fazlur Rahman, the then-Awami League government was directly involved in orchestrating the mutiny. Rahman said former lawmaker Fazle Noor Taposh acted as the “principal coordinator”, carrying out the plan with Hasina’s approval, describing her alleged instruction as the “green signal” for the killings.

The commission also claimed that evidence pointed to “the involvement of a foreign force”, accusing India of attempting to destabilise Bangladesh and undermine its military following the revolt.

The report marks the most serious allegation yet against Hasina, whose political opponents have long accused her of benefiting from the mutiny — claims she has repeatedly denied.