Heavy casualties feared as intense gunfire rocks BDR headquarters
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, Feb 25, IRNA -- Heavy casualties are feared as intense gunfire rocked the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) headquarters in Dhaka Wednesday after a mutiny broke out in the border force with renegade soldiers holding their top officers hostage over an apparent pay dispute.
Though the army and the rapid action force of police had encircled the BDR headquarters located in the heart of Dhaka, there was no word on what was happening inside the complex which was a scene of heavy firing for hours in the morning.
However, one civilian was killed and scores injured in the gunfire outside BDR headquarters after the rebel soldiers stormed out and briefly seized a nearby shopping mall, PTI reported.
Speculation was rife that several senior BDR officials, including its Director General Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed, were among those taken hostage by the mutinying soldiers.
The mutinying soldiers threatened that they would destroy everything in and around Pilkhana if attacked by the army.
"We have taken all the officers hostage," an unnamed BDR soldier saidl. He did not specify the number of captives or whether there had been any casualties.
He said that they would not free the captives unless the government declares general amnesty for all of them, meets the rebels' demands and withdraws army from outside the complex.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sent a delegation to the BDR headquarters for discussion with BDR personnel to end the unrest.
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