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Published : 28 Jun 2026, 02:25 AM
Amid rumours circulating on social media that the “bodies” of seven activists belonging to the Awami League and the banned Chhatra League were floating in the Turag River, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the son of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina has alleged that an attempt is being made to cover up the Turag incident.
Joy, who was convicted in a land plot corruption case after the Awami League government was ousted in the 2024 July Uprising movement, claims that an intelligence agency is trying to portray the incident as instances of unnatural deaths.
He posted this on Facebook on Saturday evening, citing “confidential sources”.
In the post, Joy alleged: “According to confidential sources, a team from the DGFI [Directorate General of Forces Intelligence] has been stationed at Turag Police Station throughout the day and remains there in connection with the killings of Chhatra League and Jubo League activists whose bodies were allegedly dumped in the Turag River.
“According to the sources, police have contacted the families of the three victims whose bodies have been recovered and are attempting to persuade them to file unnatural death (UD) cases.”
bdnews24.com is attempting to get a comment from the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) regarding the allegation.
Police Headquarters had rubbished the rumours on Saturday, stating the claims of activists’ bodies being found in the river are “baseless”.
A message from Police Headquarters on Saturday said, "An attempt is being made to spread confusion in the minds of the public by disseminating baseless information on social media under the headline 'The bodies of seven Awami League and Chhatra League members are floating in the Turag River.'"
Police Headquarters has requested everyone not to be misled by “false propaganda”, claiming that no such incident has been reported.
Police said, "A quarter is trying to undermine the morale of the law-enforcing agencies by spreading such confusion. Police are keen to take legal action against those who are spreading such confusion."
Police Headquarters has also warned of taking appropriate legal action against anyone found to be involved in such propaganda.
Rumours had spread that seven Awami League leaders and activists had gone missing since the party's flash procession in the capital's Turag area on Jun 22.
On Friday, rumours began circulating on Facebook that the bodies of three, including members of the Chhatra League and Awami League, had been recovered from the Turag River.
Regarding the claims, Ashulia Police Station chief Tariqul Islam said on Saturday, "A young man named Sumon Ahmed, 18, went missing after falling from a trawler while attending a picnic in Turag on Friday morning. His body was recovered later that night. A case of accidental death has also been filed in this regard."
After the fall of the Awami League government in the July Uprising, ousted prime minister Hasina fled the country and took refuge in India. Since then, she has been staying in capital Delhi. Her son Joy had been living in the US prior to that.
Hasina was sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal in 2025 in a case of crimes against humanity filed during the interim government. She has also been sentenced to different terms in multiple corruption cases.
Joy was sentenced in a plot corruption case alongside Hasina. Multiple cases are also pending against them.
The interim government had banned the Chhatra League by listing it as a “prohibited” organisation. Later, in May 2025, all forms of Awami League activities were banned and its registration as a political party was also suspended in the same month.
Since the BNP government came to power, there have been reports of processions and protests from the Awami League and its affiliates in parts of the country. There were also reports of such processions before the party's founding anniversary on Jun 23.
On the day of the founding anniversary, police issued a nationwide alert. The Army was deployed in six districts and the BGB was deployed in various places. However, no untoward incident occurred anywhere.
Rumours of the Turag incident then began circulating on social media.
Then this news spread through social media, which gained momentum on Saturday.
In his post on Saturday, Joy wrote:
“The sources further claim that senior figures in the BNP-led government have requested the Bangladesh Army and the DGFI to intervene and resolve the matter.
“According to the reported plan, a press conference has also been arranged for tomorrow, where the families of the deceased are expected to speak.”
In this regard, Turag Police Station chief Mostafizur Rahman said: "No member of any organisation or force has come to my police station. I have no news of their arrival."
In response to a question, he said: "Apart from a suicide case two weeks ago, no death has been recorded. No body has been found anywhere."
