On February 25 and 26, 2009, the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) Headquarters in Pilkhana, Dhaka, was attacked by rebel soldiers, resulting in the deaths of 57 army officers. At the time, Sohel Taj, the then-State Minister for Home Affairs, was residing in the United States. Expatriate journalist Elias Hossain has written that military sources had informed him of Sohel Taj’s potential involvement in the BDR massacre. Elias warned that Taj should be cautious about traveling abroad. In response, Sohel Taj condemned these claims as propaganda and expressed his readiness to cooperate with any investigations, while also stating that he would not enter politics at this time.