Col Shamsul Alam

A defence counsel during court proceedings yesterday accused prosecution witness Col Shamsul Alam Chowdhury of leading the BDR carnage in Pilkhana on February 25-26, 2009.
“You have got a good posting as you led the carnage,” lawyer Amdadul Hoque Lal said, adding, “That's why the commanding officer, deputy commanding officer and assistant commanding officer of 44 Rifles Battalion were not hurt during the mutiny. Isn't it true?”
As he continued to accuse the witness, most of the accused of the BDR carnage cried out, “Yes…yes” from the dock of the makeshift court at Alia Madrasa premises in Bakshibazar in the capital.
Col Shamsul, who was commanding officer of 44 Rifles Battalion during the mutiny, gave his deposition before the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court on October 12 as the fourth prosecution witness.
In his deposition, Col Shamsul said two processions entered the Pilkhana headquarters of then Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and soon marched out with many rebel jawans on the second day of the mutiny. He also gave a vivid description of how the mutiny broke out and how he survived the carnage.
As the defence lawyer accused him at the court yesterday, Col Shamsul was seen somewhat annoyed. He asked the lawyer to prove his claims before the court.
The court, however, told him that the lawyer can ask him questions in that way.
In reply, he said, “It's not true.”
Col Shamsul was assigned as chief security officer responsible for the prime minister's security as Sheikh Hasina was scheduled to be at the BDR Darbar at Pilkhana on February 25, 2009.
Amdadul Hoque also said, “Sepoy Moyeen, [one of the prime accused in the carnage as well as the mutiny case] is your creation. Moyeen was armed and you were not. Yet, Moeen didn't attack you. Why?”
In response, Col Shamsul said, “I don't know. Almighty Allah saved me.” The accused once again booed from the dock.
Col Shamsul was cross-examined nearly for four hours from 9:50am by the defence lawyers who were moving for seven accused.
Amdadul was cross-examining the witness on behalf of Sepoy Rakhal Chandra Das. The lawyer claimed that Col Shamsul implicated the sepoy following an argument between them before the mutiny.
Col Shamsul refuted the claim.
The court fixed November 2 for resuming its proceedings.
The proceeding of the court was halted for about five minutes due to chaos created by the accused in the courtroom. One of the accused tried to pass a note to his lawyer from the dock. But a member of an intelligence agency interfered and checked the message which infuriated the accused.
They shouted and repeatedly asked the member of intelligence to go away prompting the lawyers, security police, journalists and intelligence members to rush to the spot. The intelligence member later left the courtroom.
The court scheduled the cross-examining of Lt Col Mukim Sarker, fifth prosecution witness to the carnage case, for November 2, prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kajol said.
The mutiny claimed 74 lives, including 57 senior and mid-ranking army officers posted at the BDR (Bangladesh Rifles), now renamed Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).
A total of 824 BDR jawans and 23 civilians are accused in the carnage case. Charges against them include arson, theft, looting, dumping dead bodies, holding people hostage and destroying property.