Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) is scheduled to deliver its verdict on Thursday in a crime against humanity case over the killing of seven young men and the burning of six of their bodies in Ashulia during the July Uprising last year.
The tribunal fixed the date on 1 February after concluding hearings and placing the case under curia advisory vult (CAV), a legal term indicating that the court had reserved its judgement following the end of legal arguments on 20 January.
The case relates to incidents that took place on 5 August 2024 in Ashulia, Savar, where six youths were shot dead. Prosecutors say their bodies were later set on fire in an apparent attempt to destroy evidence. Another youth, who had been injured earlier, was allegedly burnt alive when the vehicle carrying the bodies was torched.
On 21 August 2025, the tribunal framed charges against 16 accused, most of them former police officials. Eight of the accused are currently in custody. Seven defendants pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the charges through trial. They include former Additional Superintendent of Police (Crimes and Operations) Md Abdullahil Kafi, former Assistant Superintendent of Police (Savar Circle) Md Shahidul Islam, former Detective Branch Inspector Md Arafat Hossain, former sub-inspectors Abdul Malek and Arafat Uddin, former assistant sub-inspector Kamrul Hasan, and former constable Mukul Chokder.
Sub-Inspector Sheikh Abzalul Haque admitted his involvement in the case, pleaded guilty and later became an approver, according to tribunal records.
The prosecution has argued that at least 29 people were killed in Savar during the July Uprising. One person was killed on 4 August, while six others were killed the following day. Prosecutors told the court that the accused committed multiple offences by first killing unarmed civilians and then burning their bodies to conceal the crime.
Investigators claim that police officers placed the victims’ bodies inside a van and set it on fire to create the impression that protesters had torched the vehicle. According to the prosecution, one of the victims was still alive when the fire was set.
On 2 July, ICT-2 took cognisance of the formal charges and issued arrest warrants against eight fugitive suspects, including former lawmaker Muhammad Saiful Islam and former Deputy Inspector General of Police Nurul Islam. The investigation agency submitted its probe report on 19 June.
Later, on 16 July, the tribunal ordered public notices to be published in two national newspapers instructing the fugitives to surrender. The court said that if they failed to appear, the trial would proceed in absentia.
The verdict is expected to draw significant public attention, with families of the victims and rights groups closely following the outcome in what is seen as a major test of accountability for alleged abuses committed during last year’s unrest.
