Former lawmaker Muhammad Saiful Islam and five others have been sentenced to death in a case filed over the killings of seven people, including burning of six bodies in Ashulia during the 2024 mass uprising.
The five others are FFM Sayed, former sub-inspector Abdul Malek, Bishwajit Saha, former constable Mukul Chokdar, and Roni Bhuiya.
Additionally, Syed Nurul Islam, Asaduzzaman Ripon, Md Abdullahil Kafi, former ASP (Savar Circle) Shahidul Islam, Masudur Rahman, Nirmal Kumar Das, and former DB inspector Md Arafat Hossain have been handed down life imprisonment.
Apart from them, former sub-inspector Arafat Uddin and former assistant sub-inspector Kamrul Hasan have been sentenced to seven years in prison. However, approver (prosecution witness) former sub-inspector Sheikh Abzalul Haque who earlier admitted guilt has been pardoned.
All properties of convict Saiful have been confiscated by the state, with the verdict directing that they be distributed among the victims’ families.
A three-member bench, headed by International Crimes Tribunal-2 Chairman Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, pronounced the judgment on Thursday. The other two members were Justice Md Manjurul Basit and Justice Nur Mohammad Shahriar Kabir.
The tribunal framed charges on 21 August 2025 against 16 people, of whom eight are in custody. Prosecutors said that 29 people were killed during the July–August uprising in Savar, with one person on 4 August and six on 5 August.
They alleged that the accused committed two offences — the killings and the burning of six bodies, including one victim who was reportedly alive at the time.
On 16 July, the tribunal ordered public notices in national dailies summoning eight fugitive accused to surrender, warning that the trial would proceed in absentia if they failed to appear.
Arrest warrants were also issued against eight fugitives, including former MP Saiful and former deputy inspector general of police Nurul Islam.
The ICT investigation agency submitted its probe report on 19 June 2025, stating that police allegedly transported the victims’ bodies in a van and set them on fire to mislead the public into believing protesters were responsible.
