The BDR Mutiny: Mystery Remains but Democracy Emerges Stronger

Anand Kumar

Dr. Anand Kumar is an Associate Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), New Delhi. After completing his PhD from the School of International Studies,… Continue reading The BDR Mutiny: Mystery Remains but Democracy Emerges Stronger read more

The mutiny in para-military force, Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) took place only two months after the restoration of democracy in Bangladesh. This mutiny nearly upstaged the newly installed Shaikh Hasina government. In the aftermath of mutiny both the army and the civilian governments launched investigations to find the causes and motives behind the mutiny, however, what provoked mutiny still remains a mystery. This paper discusses the mutiny in the Bangladesh Rifles and argues that whatever may have been the reasons behind the mutiny it has only made democracy in Bangladesh emerge stronger. The mutiny also provides a lesson to the civilian government that it should seriously handle the phenomenon of Islamic extremism in the country if it wants to keep Bangladesh a democratic country.

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