The massacre, the moving on and the indifference
The massacre, the moving on and the indifference
Syeda Nazneen Ferdousi
In observance of the 8th Anniversary of BDR ‘massacre’ this year, I am paying tribute to all the precious lives snatched away in the name of mutiny. During the massacre on 25-26 February in 2009, 74 people including 57 army officials were killed at the force’s Peelkhana headquarters in Dhaka. According to initial reactions, there were long pending grievances of the BDR men over their pay, leave, posting, deputation and so on, but the extent of the carnage raised serious concerns as it created the darkest chapter in the history of Bangladesh.
The simmering grievances of the paramilitary soldiers and their bread-and-butter issues failed to explain the violent mutiny that broke out and the brutality that accompanied it. What had shocked the nation was the mutilation of many of the dead and the gruesome manner in which their bodies were deposited in mass graves or dumped in sewers to avoid detection. The bodies bore marks of such severe brutality that only a DNA test could confirm who was who. The rebellion, breaking the chain of command, killing a large number of brilliant army officers has definitely inflicted enormous damage upon the defense system of Bangladesh.
It is heart rending to put into words how I feel at the loss of my brother-in-law Col Mojibul Hoq, who commanded the Dhaka Sector. He was a great friend to me and I have always admired him as the nicest human being on earth. He lived a worthwhile life and I was an ardent admirer of his loyalty towards the country he loved so much.
I shall continue to express my deepest grief for all the army officers, BDR habildar, subedar, jawans and their family members and the civilian casualties, the pedestrian, domestic worker, rickshaw puller and student. It is undeniable that the affected families have lost their loved ones and the nation as a whole has suffered grave losses. While it is true that those who were killed will never return, my sincerest hope is that their family members have by now found the strength to withstand their losses, and their wounds to heal.
Though reliving those 33 hours still horrifies me, shatters my trust on humanity, I just cannot generalize and put everyone in the ‘aggressor’s’ category. The only consolation in such terrible outrages is that for everyone who defiles their fellow citizens and country there are many more who show extraordinary bravery and self sacrifice when confronted with these terrible situations. They give us continued faith in fellow human beings. I am grateful to all our friends, colleagues and family members who stood by our side, lent their helping hands unconditionally�all of which were crucial to that gradual process of healing, reconciliation and ‘moving on’ in life.
Most people are fortunate never to have experienced such savagery, personally, and cannot begin to understand the lifelong scars they leave. But it is remarkable how, over time, human beings so often pick themselves up from a tragedy and find ‘coping mechanisms’ to move on, as those they have lost would almost always wish. Because, until you heal the wounds of your past, you will continue to bleed and moving on will never be possible.
However, moving on was not without hassles for the families of those killed in the massacre. Brows were raised and words filled the air�They (families of slain army officers) seem to be doing fine’; ‘They are laughing and going about their businesses, ‘How are back to normal life’ etc etc. So, what was expected? That these survivors should stop living? Or, die before their deaths�..like cowards? According to Psychologists, moving on with your life doesn’t – in any way mean you’ve forgotten the things that have happened. It just means you have accepted what happened and despite how hard it was, you are continuing to live your life. It means you choose happiness over hurt.
Personally, I salute all of them for doing so. They are all fighters and have proven their power of extraordinary resilience. Every life is precious and we all have the right to love ourselves.
Self love is the value you place on your own happiness and wellbeing. It is the kindness, compassion, love, understanding and empathy that you have for yourself. Some people feel uncomfortable with self love because they think it’s something completely different than simply honoring the needs of your mind, body and soul. To them, it is being selfish and that is simply not true. Self love is self care and is another way of loving others around us. How can you give if you are empty yourself? This is how we make others feel good and rise above the ill feeling of vengeance or going down to the same level of returning the hate or hurt!
On one hand, my heart is content to see how lives of the Shaheed families have flourished in these 8 years. Many of the widows are working in different capacities. Their children are either studying or have completed studies and taken up high profile jobs. My younger sister has also done a brilliant job in providing education to her three children and giving them the platform to choose professions as they prefer. She is keeping herself busy with voluntary/charity work. She is very passionate about helping children with special needs.
On the other hand, I do feel a prick of pain at the thought of their dissatisfaction over the handling of entire saga of tragedy� till now.
In November 2013 the court had sentenced 150 soldiers of Bangladesh Rifles, (now Border Guard Bangladesh), and two civilians to death, and jailed 161 for life for their involvement. It also gave rigorous imprisonment, ranging from three to 10 years, to 256, mostly BDR soldiers. The 277 other accused were acquitted.
The trial appeared as a farce for the families. It was also widely condemned by international legal and human rights organisations. The UN’s human rights commissioner Navi Pillay said that the trials “failed to meet the most fundamental standards of due process”. Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch (HRW) commented: “Trying hundreds of people en masse in one giant courtroom, where the accused had little or no access to lawyers was an affront to international legal standards”. HRW also noted that there was “clear evidence of torture, or other mistreatment leading to death” of around 47 detainees. The Economist (magazine) had put this figure higher than 70.
What the Shaheed families were seeking from the government were:
* accurate information regarding the reason behind the brutality (by the three inquiry committees formed following the carnage); they still feel there is a mystery shrouding the background of the carnage
* implementation of the trial verdict as soon as possible;
* declaration of 25 February as “Shaheed Sena Dibash” and to observe it nationally every year with due honour; fly the flag at half-staff (mast).
* Memorial/monument in remembrance of the slain army officers to keep this gruesome massacre a part of history. Military coups are not uncommon in Bangladesh but this kind of deliberate massacre of army officers had never taken place before�.not even during the War of Independence in 1971.
Unfortunately, none of these asks have been met till date. And I don’t find any of the demands, illogical or impossible. Rather, this delay underscores the ‘indifference’ of all sections of the ruling elite.
The families of the slain army officers have worked together since 2009, in commemorating the anniversaries in an effort to ensure that the memories of those whose lives were snuffed out, would not fade into oblivion. Therefore, what they were seeking from the government was just a means to pay respect to the slain army officers and retain their memories.
Such indifference is more dangerous than anger and hatred. Anger can at times be creative. One can do something special for the sake of humanity because of anger at the injustice that one witnesses. But indifference is never creative. Even hatred at times may elicit a response. You fight it. You denounce it. You disarm it. But indifference elicits no response. Indifference is not a beginning, it is an end. And, therefore, indifference is always the friend of the enemy, for it benefits the aggressor – never the victim, whose pain is magnified when he or she feels forgotten.
It is very natural for the families to feel aggravated at the thought of deliberate efforts in making people forget this incident��and not be a part of history. This carnage should be highlighted for future generations to know the facts and take lessons. History is so very important – it is a national asset. History is so many things: the material culture of the past; understanding lost communities; charting the rise and fall of civilizations. A generation which ignores history has no past: and no future.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, some retired army officers have affirmed, they will never forget the barbarity to their comrades. They have also wondered what lessons will the army leave for future generations? They strongly believe in consistent efforts to retain the incident as part of history and denounce rebellion in any form.
I am not at all a believer in vengeance and violence. But I always support raising voices against any wrongdoing. And history has proven this to be the effective way of stopping many of the evils across the globe. As Napoléon Bonaparte said, “The world suffers a lot. Not because the violence of bad people. But because of the silence of the good people.”r
Syeda Nazneen Ferdousi is a freelance media consultant
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