Urging the border guards to leave the 'regretful' past behind in an effort to strengthen the BGB, home minister Shahara Khatun has said the paramilitary force is going to be divided into four zones.
"The killing of 74 people, including 57 army officials, on February 25-26, 2009 was sorrowful… pathetic. Prime minister Sheikh Hasina's intelligence saved the day," she said at a reception to honour freedom fighters from the then East Pakistan Rifles (EPR) on Tuesday.
EPR was renamed Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) after liberation in 1971. The paramilitary force was further christened Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Dec 20 last year.
On Dec 8, parliament passed the Border Guard Bangladesh Bill-2010 with the provision of death penalty for offences such as rebellion, killing and arson within the paramilitary force.
The law repealed the existing one in a bid to restructure BDR in the wake of the killings of army officers at the Peelkhana headquarters in February 2009.
"The trial of the mutiny is in final stages," Shahara said on Tuesday. "Those responsible for killings and loot will be punished through proper trial."
She also said the government is thinking of sending BGB members to the UN's peace keeping mission.
DIVIDING BGB IN ZONES
The home minister said the Border Guard Bangladesh Bill-2010 proposes to divide the BGB into several zones.
Seeking anonymity, a BGB official told that the decision to divide BGB into four zones aims to increase manpower in the frontier security force.
The headquarters of the northwest zone will be at Noagaon, northeast headquarters at Sarail in Brahmanbaria, while the southeast headquarters will be stationed at Chittagong, the BGB official said.
"The issue is awaiting the finance ministry's approval. We hope it will be finalised soon," he said.
According to the official, an officer of brigadier rank, or of same status, would be made the region commander for each zone.
"A decision has also been taken to add four more sectors to the existing 12 sectors,'" he said. The sectors in the pipeline are Sreemangal, Thakurgaon, Bandarban and Bagaichharhi.
BORDER HEROES HONOURED
A total of 119 freedom fighters from the erstwhile EPR were honoured on Tuesday. Of them, lance naiks Nur Mohammad Sheik and Munshi Abdur Rouf were awarded Bir Shrestha, the highest military award of Bangladesh, for their contribution during the 1971 Liberation War.
Eight others were awarded Bir Uttam, 32 given Bir Bikram, while Bir Pratik was conferred on 77 former EPR fighters.
Of them, 57 were given reception at the Peelkhana headquarters of BGB, and the others at different sectors on Tuesday.
State minister for home Shamsul Hoque Tuku was special guest at the function.
At the reception function, Sepoy Sheikh Moktar Ali, an award-winning freedom fighter, said Sepoy Ashraf had clasped Captain Sadeque of Pakistani Army in the arms in Chuadanga district on March 26, 1971. Both had died from bullet injuries. But Sepoy Ashraf was not given any reception.
"The killing of 74 people, including 57 army officials, on February 25-26, 2009 was sorrowful… pathetic. Prime minister Sheikh Hasina's intelligence saved the day," she said at a reception to honour freedom fighters from the then East Pakistan Rifles (EPR) on Tuesday.
EPR was renamed Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) after liberation in 1971. The paramilitary force was further christened Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Dec 20 last year.
On Dec 8, parliament passed the Border Guard Bangladesh Bill-2010 with the provision of death penalty for offences such as rebellion, killing and arson within the paramilitary force.
The law repealed the existing one in a bid to restructure BDR in the wake of the killings of army officers at the Peelkhana headquarters in February 2009.
"The trial of the mutiny is in final stages," Shahara said on Tuesday. "Those responsible for killings and loot will be punished through proper trial."
She also said the government is thinking of sending BGB members to the UN's peace keeping mission.
DIVIDING BGB IN ZONES
The home minister said the Border Guard Bangladesh Bill-2010 proposes to divide the BGB into several zones.
Seeking anonymity, a BGB official told that the decision to divide BGB into four zones aims to increase manpower in the frontier security force.
The headquarters of the northwest zone will be at Noagaon, northeast headquarters at Sarail in Brahmanbaria, while the southeast headquarters will be stationed at Chittagong, the BGB official said.
"The issue is awaiting the finance ministry's approval. We hope it will be finalised soon," he said.
According to the official, an officer of brigadier rank, or of same status, would be made the region commander for each zone.
"A decision has also been taken to add four more sectors to the existing 12 sectors,'" he said. The sectors in the pipeline are Sreemangal, Thakurgaon, Bandarban and Bagaichharhi.
BORDER HEROES HONOURED
A total of 119 freedom fighters from the erstwhile EPR were honoured on Tuesday. Of them, lance naiks Nur Mohammad Sheik and Munshi Abdur Rouf were awarded Bir Shrestha, the highest military award of Bangladesh, for their contribution during the 1971 Liberation War.
Eight others were awarded Bir Uttam, 32 given Bir Bikram, while Bir Pratik was conferred on 77 former EPR fighters.
Of them, 57 were given reception at the Peelkhana headquarters of BGB, and the others at different sectors on Tuesday.
State minister for home Shamsul Hoque Tuku was special guest at the function.
At the reception function, Sepoy Sheikh Moktar Ali, an award-winning freedom fighter, said Sepoy Ashraf had clasped Captain Sadeque of Pakistani Army in the arms in Chuadanga district on March 26, 1971. Both had died from bullet injuries. But Sepoy Ashraf was not given any reception.
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