Army officers' janaza held

The namaz-e-janaza of 50 people including 48 army officers, who were killed in the Pilkhana mutiny on Feb 25-26, was held today at the National Parade Square in Dhaka.

Two others are BDR director general Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed's wife Naznin Ahmed and a soldier.

Forty-two of them were buried at the military graveyard at Banani at with state honour while the bodies of eight others were sent to their village homes for burial.

Apart from DG of the BDR Maj General Shakil Ahmed and his wife Nazneen, the 39 other slain army officers, out of 47, are Col Md Zakir Hossain, Col Mohammad Mashiur Rahman, Col Kudrat Elahi Rahman Shafiq, Col Mohammad Akhtar Hossain, Col Md Rezaul Kabir, Col Nafiz Uddin Ahmed, Col Kazi Emdadul Haq, Col Samsul Arefin Ahammed, Col Mohammad Nakibur Rahman, Col Kazi Moazzem Hossain, Col Md Shawkat Imam, Col Mohammad Emdadul Islam, Col Md Aftabul Islam, Lt Col Enshad Ibn Amin, Lt Col Shamsul Azam, Lt Col Md Badrul Huda, Lt Col Md Saiful Islam, Lt Col Md Lutfar Rahman, Lt Col Mohammad Sajjadur Rahman, Lt Col Kazi Rabi Rahman, Lt Col Lutfar Rahman Khan, Maj Md Makbul Hossain, Maj Md Abdus Salam Khan, Maj Hossain Sohel Shahnewaj, Maj Kazi Mosaddek Hossain, Major Md Saleh, Maj Mahmud Hasan, Maj Mustak Mahmud, Maj Mahmudul Hasan, Maj Humayun Haider, Maj Md Azharul Islam, Maj Md Humayun Kabir Sarkar, Maj Md Khalid Hossain, Maj Mohammad Maksum-ul-Hakim, Maj Syed Md Idris Iqbal, Maj Md Rafiqul Islam, Maj Muhammad Mosharaf Hossain, Maj Mohammad Mominul Islam Sarkar, Maj Mostafa Asaduzzaman and Maj S M Mamunur Rahman.

Relatives of the slain officers, President Zillur Rahman, members of the cabinet, chiefs of three services, many MPs, political leaders, army officers and a large number of civilians attended the janaza.

Khatib of Cantonment Central Mosque Maulana Mohammad Mahmudul Huq led the funeral prayer.

Later, the president placed wreaths at the coffins with due military fashion. The chiefs of army, navy and air force followed the president.

The military secretary to the prime minister placed the wreath on behalf of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Air Force jets offered flying salute to the coffins.

Earlier on Friday, the namaz-e-janaza of seven BDR officers killed in the same incident was held at the Army Central Mosque in the Dhaka Cantonment.

The deceased officers were Brig Gen MA Bari, Col Mujibul Haque, Col Anisuzzaman, Col Zahid, Lt Col Abu Musa Mohammad Kaiser, Lt Col Enayet and Maj Mizan.