The Pilkhana tragedy or BDR mutiny is considered one of the most heinous events in the history of Bangladesh. This brutal and tragic incident, which occurred on February 25 and 26, 2009, resulted in the deaths of 74 people, including 57 army officers. During the aftermath, questions arose regarding the role of the then State Minister for Home Affairs, Tanjim Ahmed Sohel Taj. At the time of the incident, Sohel Taj was in the United States, and many pointed fingers at him. In a recent interview with Eye News BD, Sohel Taj discussed these allegations. He stated that when he heard the news of the incident from the U.S., he immediately contacted the Inspector General of Police (IGP). Later, he spoke with the Home Minister Sahara Khatun and then with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The Prime Minister, dismissing his advice, reportedly scolded him, saying, "Don't think you understand better while sitting in America. I am handling it."

In his interview with Eye News BD, Sohel Taj provided a detailed account of the events. He said, "Some parties tried to involve me with the BDR mutiny, which is a very unfortunate accusation. It is not right to tarnish the reputation of an innocent person in such a way."

When asked why suspicion was directed towards him, he responded, "I was the State Minister for Home Affairs at the time. But I was in the U.S. during the incident. It was my daughter's birthday, and a close relative was undergoing heart surgery in New York. A relative of mine had an office near Pilkhana. There was an 11-hour time difference between the U.S. and Bangladesh. Around 11:30 PM, that relative called me and said, 'Sohel, there is a lot of shooting going on here.' I asked, 'What do you mean by shooting?' He replied, 'I mean a lot of shooting.' I immediately called the then IGP, Noor Mohammad, and asked him about the situation. He replied that there was shooting at Pilkhana. I asked, 'What are you doing while the shooting is happening?' He said, 'We are here.' Hearing this, I told him to call all forces, including the police, RAB, Ansar, and APBN, and surround the entire Pilkhana. There must be movement. He said, 'We are moving.' I also suggested calling the army if necessary. Hearing my words, the IGP said, 'Sir, the minister is with us,' meaning he couldn't take my advice because a senior official was present. I understood then that he wouldn't listen to me because my senior (the Home Minister) was there."

Sohel Taj continued, "My head was heated then. In such a crisis, the entire area should be surrounded so that those inside understand there is no escape route. If there is no way to escape, they might not proceed with their plans. So, I said the area should be completely surrounded. Despite what the IGP said, I did not stop. After ending the call, I contacted Home Minister Sahara Khatun and told her the same thing—to surround the area and call the army if necessary. She then said, 'Apu (Sheikh Hasina) is looking into this.' Even then, I did not stop. I called the Prime Minister and told her the same thing—to use whatever force is available to surround the area until the army arrives. She told me, 'Don't think you understand better while sitting in America. I am handling it.' At that point, I had nothing else to do. When I came back to the country, I was shocked by what I saw. The BDR was under the Home Ministry, but everything was happening miraculously, and I couldn't see what was going on. Colonel Faruq Khan was appointed as the coordinator, although he was the Commerce Minister. Why would the Commerce Minister be made the coordinator of such an event? From then on, everything became invisible. We had nothing left in our hands. We didn't even utter the 'B' of BDR because no one asked or informed us. Everything was done by the coordinator. It all seemed absurd to me, but there was no proof. This was also one of the reasons I resigned from my post as State Minister immediately after the BDR mutiny."

When asked about the reasons behind the BDR mutiny, he said, "Even while I was a minister, I did not notice anything. I had no idea what was happening or how things were unfolding. And after resigning, I had no chance to know or see anything."

Earlier, on August 15, Sohel Taj made a Facebook post stating, "It is time to speak the truth. Truth is the greatest power. A proper investigation of the Pilkhana massacre should be conducted. The greatest asset of a human being is their dignity, and truth is the greatest weapon and shield." He wrote, "To those who are falsely accusing me of being involved in the Pilkhana massacre without any evidence, knowingly or unknowingly, I would say—this is not right. Like all conscientious people in Bangladesh, I was also stunned and shocked. I was mentally distressed. I also want to know the truth and demand a proper investigation. If there is a re-investigation in the future, I want to share my experiences and observations."

The incident from almost 15 years ago has come under discussion again after the government fell on August 5. The BDR Welfare Council has also demanded a re-investigation and presented nine demands regarding the incident. Additionally, a murder case has been filed concerning the death of Deputy Assistant Director (DAD) and freedom fighter Md. Abdur Rahim in prison, who was an accused in the Pilkhana mutiny case. On August 25, Abdul Aziz, the son of Abdur Rahim, filed this case in the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md. Akhtaruzzaman. The case accuses 11 people, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, former BGB Director General, and former Army Chief Brigadier General Aziz Ahmed, and Mosharraf Hossain Kajol, the lawyer in the Pilkhana mutiny case. Other accused include former Inspector General of Prisons Brigadier General Md. Ashraful Islam Khan, Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, Member of Parliament Sheikh Selim, Nur Alam Chowdhury Liton, Sheikh Helal, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Mirza Azam, and Hasanul Haq Inu. Additionally, the jail superintendent of the central jail on duty in July 2010 and the doctors of the prison were also accused, along with 200 unidentified individuals.

The BDR Welfare Council has demanded a proper investigation of the Pilkhana massacre and the reinstatement of dismissed BDR (now BGB) members. At a press conference organized last week at the National Press Club, Fakhrul Islam, an advisor to the BDR Welfare Council, said, "The then fascist government conspired to please a country, weaken the army's capabilities, and destroy the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) through a premeditated plot, resulting in the 'Pilkhana massacre.' The interim government has also called for a reinvestigation into the BDR mutiny."