Warrants issued against 5 suspects for burning 6 bodies in Ashulia during mass uprising

Prosecutor BM Sultan Mahmud says Saiful Islam, a former member of parliament from the Dhaka-19 constituency, is among the five

The International Crimes Tribunal has issued arrest warrants against five people, including a former member of parliament, over allegations of burning six bodies during the July-August uprising.

A three-member bench of the tribunal led by its Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder made the decision on Tuesday.

Prosecutor BM Sultan Mahmud said Saiful Islam, a former member of parliament from the Dhaka-19 constituency, is among the five.

Relatives have filed two complaints with the International Crimes Tribunal against 70 people, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, in the killing of six people and the burning of their bodies in Dhaka’s Ashulia during the anti-quota movement on Sept 11.

Supreme Court Advocate Hujjatul Islam Khan, representing the families, filed two separate complaints with the tribunal's investigation agency on Wednesday.

On that day, Hujjatul Islam Khan said that the accused had been accused of genocide and crimes against humanity under sections 3(2) and 4(1), 4(2) of the International Crimes Tribunal Act, 1973.

He said that the deceased As-Sabur's brother, Md Rizwanul Islam, has filed two cases against 30 people and the deceased Sajjad Hossain Sajal's mother, Md Shahina Begum, has filed two cases against 40 people. The charges in both cases are identical. Two cases were filed because two different people had filed them. However, those accused in both cases are similar.

The complaints alleged that, on the orders and plans of accused numbers 1-7, the other accused opened fire indiscriminately on protesters with firearms, killed unarmed students protesting against discrimination, and burnt their bodies, committing genocide and crimes against humanity with the intention of completely or partially eradicating them.

The others accused in the case include Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, former advisor to the prime minister Salman F Rahman, former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, Md Maruf Hossain, Dhaka Additional Superintendent of Police Md Abdullahil Kafi, Beximco Limited Security In-charge Montazuddin Mondal, Gazipur City Corporation Ward No. 2 Councillor Sharif Bepari, Kashimpur Thana Swechchhasebak League President Mostaq Ahmed, Kashimpur Thana Chhatra League President Saber Ahmed Sajeeb, former Dhaka-19 MP Saiful Islam, and Ashulia Thana Chhatra League former president Md Nadim Hossain.