Dhaka: Tribunal-2 has sentenced a former MP and two former ASPs, along with three others, to death in a heinous incident that took place in Ashulia during the July-August 2024 agitation against former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. International Crimes Tribunal-2 on Thursday sentenced former MP Muhammad Saiful Islam and five others for burning six bodies during the July-August uprising in Ashulia, the Dhaka Tribune reported.

The three-member Tribunal-2 bench, headed by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, found six individuals guilty in its verdict, including a former MP, two former ASPs, and three others, and sentenced them to death. Those sentenced include AFM Syed, Abdul Malek, Biswajit Shaha, Mukul Chokdar, and Ronnie Bhuiyan.

Former MP Saiful Islam was the main accused in the case, which alleged crimes against humanity during the protests. Eight of the 16 accused were arrested in the case. They include former Additional Superintendent of Police Abdullahil Kafi of the Dhaka District Police, former Additional Superintendent of Police Shahidul Islam, DB Inspector Arafat Hossain, Sub-Inspectors Abdul Malek and Arafat Uddin, Constables Mukul Chokdar and Kamrul Hasan, and Sheikh Abjalul Haque. On August 21, 2024, the tribunal formally framed charges against all 16 accused and the trial began. Constable Sheikh Abjalul Haque pleaded guilty and was granted state witness status.

According to the case, on August 5th of last year, police in Ashulia shot six young men, then burned their bodies in a police van. A video of this horrific incident went viral on social media, shocking the entire nation. The video helped the families of the victims identify two of the victims. The video shows several bodies lying in the back of a police van, while police officers are seen loading another body onto the van. The bodies were covered with dirty clothes and banners found on the road before being set on fire. An investigation revealed that one of the victims was still alive at the time of the fire, leading to his death. The case was filed with the tribunal on September 11, 2024.