More than 130 army officers are missing after a mutiny by Bangladesh's border security guards, the armed forces said Thursday, amid reports that the head of the force had been shot dead by the rebels. But the military said only 31 of the 168 army officers who were inside the paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) headquarters when the mutiny began were accounted for. Nine of the officers have been confirmed dead, while another 22 were freed. “We don't know what happened to the rest of the 137 officers. They are still missing,” said a spokesman for the armed forces. Among them was the head of the BDR, major general Shakil Ahmed, who was Thursday reported to have been shot dead during the rebellion. Second mass grave Bangladeshi soldiers recovered 10 bodies in a second mass grave in a military compound in the capital Saturday, bringing the death toll to 76. The number of dead bodies in the grave could rise as the search continued, fire service operations chief Sheikh Mohammad Shahjalal said. “It's beyond comprehension how one human could have done this to another. They not only shot them dead but some bodies were badly mutilated with bayonets,” he said. Rescuers uncovered Friday a first mass grave in the military compound that contained 38 bodies and 28 more had been discovered early Wednesday. Most of the dead were senior military personnel. The latest grave was discovered well hidden in the corner of a garden, Shahjalal said. “We have to exercise extreme caution when removing these bodies because so many are disfigured. A joint funeral for the military personnel was expected to be held once all bodies had been recovered, and three days of national mourning began Friday. Secretary General of the Organization for the Islamic Conference (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu strongly condemned the mutiny and expressed his sincere condolences. He also expressed sympathies to the families of those affected and expressed the OIC's solidarity in sharing their national grief. In a nationwide television address Saturday, Chief of the Army, General Moeen U. Ahmed told reporters in a televised address Saturday that there should be no fear of another mutiny. “Let me tell you all again that the Bangladesh army is subservient to the government,” he said. The army's second-in-command said the rank-and-file guards who turned on their superiors would be punished. “The BDR troops who took part in these barbaric and grisly acts cannot be pardoned and will not be pardoned,” said Lieutenant General M.A. Mubin. Sheikh Hasina, who had promised a general amnesty for those who surrendered, said severe punishments would be handed to those responsible for the deaths. “These senior military personnel have been killed in a planned and calculated manner. It's a grisly slaughter. We will punish these criminals,” cabinet minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak said.
