Bangladesh mutiny 'ringleader' arrested

The suspected ringleader of a border guard mutiny in the Bangladesh capital that killed at least 69 people last week has been arrested, officials said. Syed Tauhidul Alam and five other border guards have all been charged with murder and arson, according to A K Azad, a spokesman for the elite police unit that carried out the raid in Dhaka yesterday. Authorities are still searching for more than 1,000 border guards who fled after the insurrection last Thursday, in which the guards ambushed their commanding officers during an annual meeting at their headquarters in Dhaka. During the mutiny, Mr Alam emerged as the lead negotiator with the prime minister's office, winning an offer of amnesty in exchange for surrendering. The Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, later rescinded the amnesty deal for those directly responsible for the killings, which included Mr Alam, police said. The guards said they had revolted over long-standing demands for parity in pay with army officers. At least 54 army officers and some of their family members were killed and six remained missing, authorities said. ap