The Hasina government has approved a proposal from Bangladesh Rifles for disbanding four of its battalions for direct involvement in the BDR mutiny.

Battalions 13, 24, 36 and 44 at the Pilkhana BDR headquarters actively participated in the February 25-26 mutiny that claimed lives of 74 people including 57 army officials.

“We have approved the BDR proposal for disbanding the four battalions,” said Home Affairs Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder, a report in The Daily Star said.. Most members of these four battalions were involved in the mutiny and they have been detained. As such, these battalions now don’t have enough manpower to operate as individual units, according to Sikder.

He said the BDR has given the government a proposal for replacing the four battalions with new ones but their names are yet to be finalised.

“We have received government permission and will disband the four battalions at the end of the process of trying the mutineers,” said BDR Director General Maj Gen Mainul Islam.

He said a few members of the four battalions would be attached to other battalions.

Gen Mainul however said those who are in the four battalions will not lose their jobs after the disbanding. He said they will provide the home ministry with the names of the new battalions after finalizing them.