Six accused including former Awami League MP from Dhaka-19 (Savar-Ashulia) constituency Mohammad Saiful Islam have been awarded death sentence by hanging over the killing of seven people and then burning their dead bodies on a van at Ashulia in Savar during the July Mass Uprising on August 5, 2024.
Apart from Saiful Islam, five other accused who were awarded death sentences are former OC of Ashulia Police Station AFM Sayed Rony, sub-inspector (SI) Abdul Malek, former assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Biswajit Saha, Cosntable Mukul Chowdhury and Jubo League leader Rony Bhuiyan.
Those who received life-term jail sentences are: DIG Syed Nurul Islam, former additional police super (Crimes and Ops) of the Dhaka district Md Abdullah Hil Kafi, former additional police super (Savar Circle) Md Shahidul Islam, SP Asaduzzaman Ripon, Inspector Masudur Rahman, DB's former inspector Arafat Hossain Arzu, Masudur Rahman and Inspector (Operations) Nirmal Kumar Das.
Those who were given seven years of jail sentences are SI Arafat Uddin and ASI Kamrul Hasan.
Ashulia Police Station's Sub-Inspector and state approver Sheikh Abzalul Haque was pardoned as he revealed truth about the incident.
A three-member judicial panel headed by International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-2 Chairman Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury delivered the verdict on Thursday (February 5).
Two other members of the panel are Judge Md Manzurul Basid and Judge Noor Mohammad Shahriar Kabir. It is the third verdict of the reorganised tribunal.
The eight fugitive accused are former AL MP from Dhaka-19 (Savar-Ashulia) constituency Mohammad Saiful Islam, Dhaka Range's former DIG Syed Nurul Islam, former police super Md Asaduzzaman Ripon, the then OC of Ashulia Police Station AFM Sayed Rony, former police inspector (Investigation) Mohammad Masudur Rahman, former police inspector (Operations) Nirmol Kumar Das, former ASI Biswajit Saha and local Awami League leader Rony Bhuiyan.
Earlier, eight accused, now under custody, were brought at the ICT-2 in the capital by prison vans. They were former additional superintendent of police (Crime and Ops) of Dhaka district Md Abdullahil Kafi, former additional superintendent of police (Savar Circle) Md Shahidul Islam, then Detective Branch inspector Arafat Hossain, sub-inspectors Malek, Arafat Uddin and Sheikh Abzalul Haque, assistant sub-inspector Kamrul Hasan, and constable Mukul.
The prosecution made 53 individuals as witnesses in the case. Recording of testimony began on September 15 last year and concluded on January 12 this year. As the first witnesses, martyred As Sabur's brother Rezwanul Islam and martyred Sajjad Hossain Sajal's father Md Khalilur Rahman submitted depositions before the tribunal. Depositions of 24 witnesses including investigation officer Jane Alam Khan were recorded in 22 working days.
Those who were killed and their bodies burned down were: martyrs Sajjad Hossain Sajal, As Sabur, Tanzil Mahmud Sujoy, Bayezid Bostami, Abul Hossain, Omar Faruque and Mohammad Shahabul Islam.
On August 21 last year, the tribunal framed charges against the accused and ordered the trial to begin. Of the eight accused present at the time, seven pleaded not guilty, while SI Sheikh Abzalul Haque admitted guilt and gave a confessional statement after turning a state witness (approver).
Earlier, on July 2 of the same year, the tribunal had taken cognisance of the formal charges submitted by the prosecution. Along with the charges, the prosecution placed 313 pages of supporting documents, listed 62 witnesses, submitted 168 pages of documentary evidence, and included two pen drives as exhibits.
According to the case details, five young men were killed and one was injured in shooting by police in front of Ashulia Police Station in Savar at about 3:00pm on August 5, 2024. Then their bodies loaded onto a padel-operated van. Afterward, the bodies were loaded on police car. At one stage, police set the car on fire pouring petrol on the dead bodies. During the incident, one of the victims was still alive but was also burned to death by pouring petrol. One of the victims was killed on the previous day.
Following the incident, a case was filed with the International Crimes Tribunal-2 on September 11 of the same year, accusing those involved in crimes against humanity.
It was the third case verdict of the restructured tribunal, but the ICT-2's second verdict. Earlier, Tribunal-1 delivered the verdicts of Sheikh Hasina and Chankharpool cases.
END/ASA
