[6][7] The mutiny ended as the mutineers surrendered their arms and released the hostages[8] after a series of staged discussions and negotiations with the government.

[10][11] The mutiny started on the second day of the annual "BDR Week",[12] which was earlier inaugurated by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

As the session began at the "Darbar Hall" auditorium, a number of jawans (privates) spoke against the higher-ranked army officials, while BDR Director General Maj. Gen. Shakil Ahmed was making a speech.

[15][16] Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 25 February offered a general amnesty for the rebels except for those involved in the murdering of army officers, looting and other crimes against the state.

[18] Home Minister Sahara Khatun convinced some mutineers to give up their arms by assuring them that the army would not go into the BDR headquarters.

Fighting and takeovers by the BDR was reported in Chittagong, at Feni, on the eastern border with India, in Rajshahi in the northwest and Sylhet in the north.

[26] Bangladesh army tanks rolled throughout Dhaka in a show of force, which persuaded the remaining mutineers to lay down their arms and surrender.

As searches for missing personnel continued inside the headquarters, 42 more bodies were found and it was wrongly thought that more than 130 regular army officers had been killed by the rebels.

Military Intelligence (MI) announced that the body count in the mutiny at BDR headquarters stood at 63, while 72 army officers still remained missing.

[31] Newly appointed BDR Director Maj Gen. Moinul Hossain said their immediate task would be to "regain the command structure" of the paramilitary force.

Hasina attended the meeting with her Defence and Security adviser Major-General Tarique Ahmed Siddique and Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury.

The committee was later reformed and reinforced after opposition and pressure groups speculated that it might not function impartially, as the Home Minister herself was investigating an incident of her own ministry.

[43] The government had also undertaken a decision to change the name and framework of Bangladesh Rifles and deployed the army across the country for an indeterminate period.

They were charged with looting firearms and ammunition from the armoury and firing their weapons, creating panic in the city, desecrating the portrait of BDR DG Maj. Gen. Shakil Ahmed and giving provocative statements before the media.

[45] BDR personnel of the 39th Rifles Battalion were accused of looting firearms, firing shots and siding with the Dhaka mutineers, who killed the top ranks of the force in February.

[10][49][50] Around 6,000 soldiers were convicted by courts in mass trials and sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging from four months to seven years including fines for participation in the mutiny.

[51][52] 823 soldiers who allegedly killed their senior officers were charged and tried in a civilian court for murder, torture, conspiracy and other offences.

[55] UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has drawn attention to flaws in the trial, calling it "rife with procedural irregularities, including the lack of adequate and timely access to lawyers".

"Those responsible for the horrific violence that left 74 dead should be brought to justice, but not with torture and unfair trials," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

"The government's initial response to the mutiny was proportionate and saved lives by refusing army demands to use overwhelming force in a heavily populated area.

"[10] On December 15, 2024, the Ministry of Home Affairs informed the High Court that it would not form a commission to re-investigate the BDR massacre,[57] which led to public outrage.

Several speakers, including former Bangladesh Army Colonel Abdul Haque, alleged the mutiny was part of a long-term plan involving Awami League leaders and India, aimed at destabilizing the country.

Other speakers, including Islamic scholar Enayetullah Abbasi, echoed similar accusations, suggesting India sought to dominate Bangladesh through the mutiny.