The government has decided to shut the temporary Taskforce for Interrogation cell, set up at Bangladesh Rifles headquarters after the February 25-26 mutiny last year.
A three-member committee, headed by Additional Home Secretary Md Ghulam Hussain, took the decision at a meeting at the home ministry on Tuesday.
CID chief Additional Inspector General of Police Shah Jamal Raj and BDR Director General Maj Gen Md Mainul Islam are the two other members of the committee. A senior BDR official represented the BDR chief at the meeting.
Earlier, the government formed the committee to arrange the disbandment of the cell.
“A circular regarding closure of the cell will be issued from the ministry in a day or two,” said a home ministry official, adding that the committee took the decision following allegations of torture on mutiny suspects by the cell.
Meanwhile, 80 detained BDR members yesterday appealed to a Dhaka court for withdrawal of their confessional statements in the February 2009 Pilkhana carnage case.
Metropolitan Magistrate Mominul Hasan directed the authorities concern to keep the petitions into the case file.
The petitioners alleged they were tortured in custody during interrogation to give confessional statements.
Earlier, 97 BDR men had submitted similar petitions on different days.
CID had so far arrested a total of 2,183 BDR members including 30 civilians for their alleged involvement with the carnage.
The TFI cell, which is comprised of officials of different intelligence agencies and the CID, interrogated a total of 2,148 BDR members while 521 gave confessional statements.
There are widespread allegations by human rights organisations that accused BDR members were tortured during the interrogations.
At least 74 people, including 57 army officers, deputed at the paramilitary force, were killed in carnage.