Tribunal sets indictment hearing over Ashulia corpse burning case for Aug 21
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A tribunal will decide on Aug 21 whether a case over the burning of six bodies in Ashulia during the July Uprising will proceed to trial.
The International Crimes Tribunal bench led by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury fixed the date for the indictment hearing after the defence petitioned for the suspects’ acquittal on Wednesday.
The other judges on the bench are Md Manzurul Basid and Nur Mohammad Shahriar Kabir.
Gazi MH Tamim represented the prosecution at the hearing. Eight of the 16 accused, who are currently in jail, were produced in court on Wednesday.
They are former additional superintendent of police (crimes and ops) Md Abdullahil Kafi, former additional superintendent of police (Savar circle) Md Shahidul Islam, former Detective Branch (DB) inspector Md Arafat Hossain, SI Malek, SI Arafat Uddin, ASI Kamrul Hasan, Abzal Hossain and constable Mukul.
Eight suspects in the case, including former MP Muhammad Saiful Islam and former sub-inspector Biswajit Saha, are absconding. The tribunal has appointed two state-appointed lawyers to represent them.
On Jul 2, the prosecution submitted a formal complaint to the tribunal against 16 people. The court accepted the complaint and issued arrest warrants against eight suspects.
Along with the formal complaint, 313 pages of documents, 62 witnesses, 168 pages of documentary evidence and two pen drives were added as other sources of information. Later, the tribunal took cognisance of the charges brought against 16 people in the case.
On Aug 5 last year, six young men were shot dead by police in Ashulia. Their bodies were then placed in a police van and set ablaze. One of them was alive at the time. He was later burnt after being doused in petrol.
Those killed at that time were Sajjad Hossain (Sajal), As Sabur, Tanzil Mahmud Sujoy, Bayezid Bustami and Abul Hossain; the identity of one person has yet to be determined.
Following the incident, on Sept 11, a case was filed with the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) accusing the perpetrators of crimes against humanity. At least 11 people were named in it.