A special court in northern Bangladesh has sentenced 29 border guards to jail terms ranging from four months to seven years for involvement in a mutiny last year that left 74 people dead.
The verdicts on Wednesday are the first since the mutiny nearly 14 months ago. Thirteen defendants were sentenced to seven years in prison, while 16 others received jail terms of four months to four years.
Judge Maj. Gen. Mainul Islam announced the sentences in a packed courtroom in Panchgarh district.
The court deals only with mutiny charges, and charges of murder will be tried separately. The murder investigation is still continuing.
The mutiny apparently stemmed from discontent over pay and the force’s command structure.
