The family members of 20 army officers who lost their lives in the 2009 BDR massacre lodged a complaint against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 57 others with the International Crimes Tribunal yesterday.

The complaint was submitted to ICT Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam over the killings that took place at the headquarters of the erstwhile Bangladesh Rifles (now Border Guard Bangladesh) in the capital's Pilkhana on February 25, 2009.

Apart from Hasina, her former defence adviser Maj Gen (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique and ex-army chief Gen Moeen U Ahmed have also been named in the complaint, said lawyer SM Tasmirul Islam, who assisted the victims' families.

Speaking to the media after filing the complaint, the families called for the release of the innocent ex-BDR soldiers who have been imprisoned for years.

"Fifty-seven unarmed army officers were killed because of their patriotism, honesty, and skill. This massacre was a deliberate and planned attempt to destroy the Armed Forces and the BDR, and prolong Sheikh Hasina's autocratic regime. The bodies of the victims were burned. Such brutal killings are consistent with crimes against humanity," said Tasmirul.

Nehreen Ferdousi, wife of late Col Mujibul Hoque, requested all not to call the 2009 incident a mutiny. "It was a killing and part of a planned conspiracy."

Advocate Sakib Rahman, son of late Col Quadrat Elahi, shared, "I studied law only to avenge my father's murder. I will fight against my father's killers."

Rakin Ahmed Bhuiyan, son of late Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed, said the 2009 incident was a conspiracy to kill the skilled army officers, destroy the army and BDR, and undermine the country's sovereignty.

"It pains me deeply to speak of how they murdered my parents. When I asked an officer if I could see their bodies, he advised me against it, warning that I wouldn't be able to bear it.

"Why were they killed? They were killed because they loved and defended their country. They were targeted and killed as part of a conspiracy. We demand justice. You cannot fathom how I have been living alone since then."

A press release issued by the complainants alleged that Sheikh Hasina identified officers who might stand in the way of her autocratic rule, and planned a massacre to strengthen her grip on power.

The ICT is scrutinising the complaint to assess whether the accusations against the 58 individuals fall under the purview of the International Crimes Tribunal Act, Abdullah Al Noman, a prosecutor of the tribunal, told The Daily Star.