Tanks rolled through the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, Thursday in a show of force that prompted mutinous border guards to lay down their weapons after a two-day rebellion.
Word of the surrender came after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged the mutineers not to take a "suicidal" route, and promised to look into their grievances, which include better pay. But uncertainty remains over the fate of more than 130 army officers still missing.
The mutiny began early Wednesday at the Dhaka headquarters of a paramilitary unit called the Bangladesh Rifles. Some officials put the death toll at 11, while others estimate it at more than 50. Among the dead are eight Army officer supervisors, apparently killed by the rebel guards, and three civilians caught in cross-fire. There are also reports of casualties among the mutineers.
Some of the guards began to surrender earlier, after Ms. Hasina offered them an amnesty. But, the process stalled as violence spread to other parts of the country. The situation in Bangladesh remains tense, as mobile phone services were cut, apparently to prevent the mutinous guards from communicating with each other.
There were also reports of guards firing their weapons along the 4,000 kilometer long border with India, but New Delhi said there is little chance that the dispute will spill over into India.Tensions have long been simmering among the Bangladeshi border guards, who complain they are treated like second-class citizens by the country's military.
The guards' main job is to patrol the country's borders, but they also can serve as backup for the army and police.