Gunbattle in the heart of Dhaka, Army called in - National News Updates

Dhaka: A gunbattle is on in and around the headquarters of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) in Dhaka. Reports suggest it is a mutiny by the BDR jawans. According to agency reports one person is confirmed dead.

Officials said the army was called in to crush the rebellion as witnesses reported movement of military convoys and hovering of air force helicopters over the sky of the Pilkhana barracks.

Smoke could be seen coming from the complex, with security forces sealing the area.

Minutes after the gunbattle began, Editor-in-Chief of Bdnews24.com, Toufique Imrose Kalidi told CNN-IBN, “There have been civilian casualties. Senior official of BDR have been killed. No one can put a number on the casualties as of now. The BDR headquarters has been surrounded. The army is using helicopters. The prime minister is holding an emergency meeting. The government spokesperson has conferred there was a mutiny within the BDR. A curfew is being imposed, probably around BDR headquarters.”

"The army troops are now chalking out plans to enter into the barracks where heavy exchanges of gunshots were still underway," an army source told a news agency but officials inside the BDR Headquarters could not be reached as they kept their phones switched off.

Junior minister for local government Jahangir Kabir Nanak and a local MP, who were sent to the BDR headquarters, will be meeting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with 14 BDR soldiers to negotiate a settlement.

Earlier the defence ministry's media wing had issued an appeal to the violent soldiers to put down their guns. "Please end the indiscipline and violent activities immediately, drop your guns and return to the barracks," it said.

"Prime Minister (Sheikh Hasina) will herself listen to your demands and meet them as much possible," it added, without saying what the demands are. "You please resume order and end violence. Otherwise you will face (punitive) actions," it added.

After independence from Pakistan in 1971, Bangladesh has had a history of coups and counter-coups.

Meanwhile, a high alert was sounded along the Indo-Bangladesh border in the Northeastern region following rebellion by paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles, the Border Security Force said.