The rebellion by paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles troops apparently ended Thursday after they handed over their weapons inside their headquarters in the capital city's Pilkhana district, the national press agency quoted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as saying in a nationwide televised address. However, the fate of top military officers who were taken hostage Wednesday was unclear, according to the news agency, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, or BSS, on its Web site. Home Minister Sahara Khatun "oversaw a rescue campaign along with a government delegation in search of bodies of officers, BDR soldiers, their family members and relatives," the agency said.

The Bangladesh Rifles is also known as the BDR.