PM leaves cantonment after meeting officers

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina left the Dhaka Cantonment after nearly three hours of talks with hundreds of army officers at Sena Kunja Sunday afternoon.

There was no official briefing afterwards for the waiting media on what transpired in the meeting.

Sources with knowledge of the proceedings told bdnews24.com that the prime minister, also defence minister, faced quite “a few awkward questions” from the officers.

The meeting, which began just after 11am, took place in the wake of scores of military officers, deputed to border guards BDR, being killed in the Feb 25-26 mutiny.

The prime minister heard the officers and explained the circumstances as well as the actions the government took to end the rebellion.

As many as 135 army officers were believed killed or missing in the two-day mayhem. The head of the army intelligence said Saturday 72 were still missing, while 63 bodies were found.

The media had been allowed in for a couple of minutes to take pictures and then herded out to facilitate a closed-door session between the prime minister and emotion-charged military officers.

The prime minister’s motorcade left the cantonment at 2pm.

Agriculture minister Motia Chowdhury and the prime minister’s adviser Tareque Ahmed Siddique were with her.