Former MP among six sentenced to death in Ashulia crimes against humanity case

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) today sentenced six people, including former Dhaka-19 MP Md Saiful Islam, to death and handed life imprisonment to seven others in a crimes against humanity case over the killing of seven youths and the burning of six of their bodies in Ashulia on August 5, 2024.

Two other accused were sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment, while another was pardoned.

The verdict was delivered around noon by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, chairman of the three-member ICT-2 bench.

Those sentenced to death are former MP Md Saiful Islam; former Ashulia Police Station OC AFM Sayed Roni; former assistant sub-inspector Bishwajit Saha; Jubo League activist Roni Bhuiyan; former sub-inspector Abdul Malek; and former constable Mukul Chokder.

The tribunal sentenced former DIG of Police Syed Nurul Islam, former SP Md Asaduzzaman Ripon, former additional SP (Crimes and Operations) Md Abdullahil Kafi, former ASP (Savar Circle) Md Shahidul Islam, former inspectors Mohammad Masudur Rahman and Nirmol Kumar Das, and former DB inspector Md Arafat Hossain to life imprisonment.

Former sub-inspector Arafat Uddin and former assistant sub-inspector Kamrul Hasan were each sentenced to seven years in jail.

The court also ordered the confiscation of former lawmaker Saiful Islam’s properties in favour of the state, directing that they be distributed among the victims’ families. It imposed fines of Tk 1 lakh each on Md Asaduzzaman Ripon, Md Abdullahil Kafi and Md Shahidul Islam, while AFM Sayed Roni, Mohammad Masudur Rahman, Nirmol Kumar Das and Md Arafat Hossain were fined Tk 50,000 each. Abdul Malek, Bishwajit Saha, Mukul Chokder, Arafat Uddin and Kamrul Hasan were fined Tk 5,000 each.

Former sub-inspector Sheikh Abzalul Haque, who pleaded guilty and later became an approver, was acquitted.

The tribunal began reading the judgment at around 12:50 pm, with the sentencing portion read out from 1:12 pm. ICT-2 had set February 1 for delivering the verdict after keeping the case on CAV on January 20 following the conclusion of arguments.

Charges were framed against 16 accused on August 21, 2025. Eight of them were in custody, while seven pleaded not guilty. Sheikh Abzalul Haque pleaded guilty and cooperated with the prosecution. Eight convicts, including Saiful Islam and several senior police officials, remain fugitives.

The prosecution earlier stated that 29 people were killed during the Savar uprising, including seven victims in this case—one on August 4 and six on August 5. It alleged that police shot the youths and later burned six of their bodies in a van to destroy evidence, with one victim reportedly still alive when the fire was set.

The ICT investigation agency launched its probe on October 6, 2024, and submitted its report on June 19, 2025. Notices were published in national dailies on July 16 summoning the fugitive accused, warning that the trial would proceed in absentia if they failed to surrender.

The seven victims were identified as Sazzad Hossain Sazal, As Sabur, Tanjil Mahmud Sujoy, Bayejid Bostami, Abul Hossain, Omar Faruk, and Mohammad Shahabul Islam.