Bangladesh on Thursday released 178 former paramilitary troops nearly 16 years after their arrest for a 2009 mutiny that led to the massacre of 74 people, including senior army officers.

The mutiny by Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) soldiers began in Dhaka before spreading nationwide, destabilizing Sheikh Hasina’s government weeks after she assumed office.

Thousands of soldiers were arrested, and more than 150 were sentenced to death in trials criticized for procedural flaws.

The men released Thursday had been acquitted of murder charges but remained jailed on explosives charges for more than a decade. Their cases remain pending.

“I can’t express my feelings in words. I came out of a life full of darkness into the light,” said Abul Kashem, 38, one of the freed detainees, as he reunited with his family.

The mass release follows the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government, toppled months ago by a student-led uprising after 15 years of what critics called autocratic rule.

Shiuly Akter, 40, the wife of another released man, described the day as “a dream.”

“There was no justice here; what happened to us was unfair. My husband knew nothing about the mutiny or the killings,” she told AFP.

The 2009 mutiny, sparked by long-standing grievances over pay and treatment, saw soldiers storm their headquarters, steal weapons, and massacre officers. The violence spread rapidly as thousands of troops joined the uprising before the army quelled it.

A government investigation during Hasina’s tenure blamed the mutiny on soldiers’ frustrations, but critics alleged she used the event to weaken the military and consolidate power.

Since her removal, families of slain officers have demanded a new probe. Last month, the interim government reopened the investigation, raising hopes for transparency.

As families of the released men celebrated outside prisons, others continue to await justice for the events that reshaped Bangladesh’s political and military landscape.