A day after at least four persons were killed in firing by soldiers of the 55th Infantry Division in Gopalganj in south-central Bangladesh, the Army today adopted clumsy means to hastily bury the bodies without performing the legally mandated autopsies.
An unofficial count of those killed in Army firing is said to be 19. At least nine other people received bullet injuries and remain admitted at the Gopalganj General Hospital.
Even as most circumstantial evidence indicated use of excessive deadly force and lethal weapons by the Army, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) wing today sought to defend and justify the firing incidents by claiming that these actions were taken in “self-defence”.
Northeast News had reported earlier today identified five Army officers, including 55th Infantry Division General Officer Commanding (GOC) Major General J M Imdadul Islam (BA-4288, 26 BMA LC), who issued the clearance to open fire on July 16, Brigadier General Mohammad Mizanur Rahman (BA-5594, 37 BMA LC), Lieutenant Colonel Mabrur Hassan, the local unit Commanding Officer on the ground, Major Ahsanul Huq and Major Shahidullah for being directly involved in the shooting of unarmed civilians and Awami League party cadres.
A video clip that surfaced this afternoon showed an officer and a clutch of soldiers around him next to a dead body wrapped in a white cloth and held up by Red Crescent volunteers at a bend of a brick-lined track.
Even as a mortuary and autopsy facility are located within the Gopalganj General Hospital, Army officers did not allow the mandatory post-mortem on the four bodies which were hurriedly buried without these critical medico-legal procedures.
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While one of the deceased persons, identified as Dipto Saha (30), was cremated at the Gopalganj municipal cemetery and Ramzan Kazi (19) was buried on Wednesday night, two others, identified as Sohel Rana (35) and Emon Talukdar (24), were laid to rest at the municipal cemetery Thursday morning.
Gopalganj General Hospital Superintendent Jibitesh Biswas confirmed to Samakal newspaper that four bodies were brought to the facility while three who received grievous bullet injuries were referred for urgent medical attention to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital.
It was reported that one Suman Biswas, who took two bullets, was admitted to the same hospital.
