BSS, Dhaka
The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) observed the 12th martyrdom anniversary on Thursday with due solemnity, commemorating the people killed in the Pilkhana carnage on February 25-26 in 2009.
Marking the day, the BGB arranged Quran Khwani, doa and milad mahfil at all regions, sectors, institutions, BOP and units along with the Pilkhana headquarters.
On behalf of the President and the Prime Minister, military secretary to the President Major General SM Salahuddin Islam and the Prime Minister’s military secretary Major General Naqib Ahmed Chowdhury placed wreaths at the Banani military graveyard respectively in the morning.
Besides, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, MP, chiefs of the three forces – chief of Army Staff General Aziz Ahmed, acting Chief of Naval Staff Rear Admiral M Abu Ashraf and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Masihuzzaman Serniabat -, Senior Secretary of Public Security Division under the Ministry of Home Affairs Mostafa Kamal Uddin and Director General (DG) of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Major General Md Shafeenul Islam also placed wreaths at the graveyard.
To mark the day, all BGB members wore black-badge and BGB flag was hoisted half-mast at the places where BGB regimental flag is hoisted. After paying tributes to the martyrs at the graveyard, one minute silence was observed while members of the armed forces gave salute to the martyred soldiers to show respect to them.
Later, prayers and doa-munajat were offered seeking the salvation of the departed souls of the martyrs.
Milad-mahfil and special munajat were also organized at the central mosques of all the cantonments on this day in the presence of army personnel of all levels seeking forgiveness for the souls of the martyrs.
A special prayer and milad mahfil will be held at Pilkhana central mosque, Dhaka sector masjid and Border Guard Hospital’s mosque after Jummah prayers tomorrow seeking salvation of the departed souls of the Pilkhana tragedy martyrs.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan will be present at the milad mahfil at Pilkhana central mosque as the chief guest.
Home Ministry senior secretary, BGB director general, relatives of the martyrs and the officers of the BGB headquarters will also attend the programme by maintaining proper health guidelines.
On February 25-26, 2009, a group of relegated members of the then Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) killed 74 people, including 57 army officers at the Pilkhana headquarters of the paramilitary force.