A heavy gun battle broke out between the soldiers and the officers of paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles at their Headquarters in Pilkhana area in Dhaka.

At least 14 BDR officers including Director General of Bangladesh Rifles has been feared killed in the firing. As per the reports, several officers were kept as hostages by rebel Bangladesh Soldiers. Several Civilians also got injured as they were caught in the crossfire.

Eye witnesses say that “The firing has been going on since 9 am. It’s going on in the market as well. Some of the army people have come over to this side but we still cannot go to this area.”

“The army has been called in. They have already started moving to the area,” said Colonel Rezaur Rahman, the deputy chief of Bangladesh’s elite internal security force, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).

“RAB officers have also circled the whole compound. But we have not moved in yet. Gunfire can be heard from inside.”

Fight is believed to be sparked by pay disputes between soldiers and officers. Mutiny happened while a meeting of top Bangladesh Rifles officers was going on at the BDR headquarters in Dhaka’s Pilkhana area.

Newly elected Government, headed by Prime Minister Sheik Hasina offered to hold talks over the demands of fighting soldiers and urged them to lay down their arms and return to barracks