Breakthrough in Ashulia Protester Burning Case: Video Evidence Provides Identification and Crucial Clues
Hearing for Framing Charges on August 21st Regarding Incident of Burned Bodies in Ashulia (ICT-2)
A significant development has taken place in the ongoing case at the International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) in Bangladesh, concerning the burning of bodies of six protesters at Ashulia on August 5, 2020, during the July uprising.
The video, widely shared on social media, has emerged as a crucial piece of evidence in the case. This footage not only provided the public with a horrific glimpse of the events but also aided the victims' families in identifying two of the deceased protesters.
The 173-page chargesheet, submitted by the prosecution against 16 individuals, includes several police officers and officials. Among the accused are former Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Md Shahidul Islam, former ASP Abdullahil Kafi, former Detective Branch (DB) Inspector Md Arafat Hossain, and former sub-inspectors Abdul Malek, Arafat Uddin, Kamrul Hasan, Sheikh Abzalul Haque, and former constable Mukul Chokdar.
The video evidence also revealed that several police officers were seen loading another body onto the van. This shocking revelation has further strengthened the prosecution's case against the accused.
The hearing for the charge framing against the accused is scheduled for August 21, 2025. The three-member bench of ICT-2, led by its Chairman Justice Nazrul Islam, will preside over the hearing. It is essential to note that eight of the accused, including Shahidul Islam, Kafi, Arafat Hossain, Malek, and Arafat Uddin, are currently in custody.
The case, which has drawn international attention, was filed with the International Crimes Tribunal on September 11, 2020. The incident, which occurred on the final day of the July Revolution, has become a symbol of brutality during the uprising. The bodies, covered with dirty clothes and banners found on the streets, were set on fire in a police van.
In a separate development, warrants for the arrest of eight other accused, including former MP Muhammad Saiful Islam, were issued by the ICT-2 on July 2, 2021, in the same case.
Meanwhile, seven of the accused in custody have pleaded not guilty, while Sheikh Abzalul Haque pleaded guilty and requested to become an approver. The trial is expected to shed light on the events leading to the tragic deaths of the six protesters and bring justice to their families.
The ongoing war-and-conflicts case at the International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) in Bangladesh, involving the burning of protesters at Ashulia, has been bolstered by video evidence, which has identified two deceased protesters and implicated several police officers. This case, filed in response to the July uprising's brutality, has drawn political, general news, and crime-and-justice attention both domestically and internationally.
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