After more than a year of unsuccessful attempts to identify them, the bodies of six individuals killed during last year’s July uprising were handed over to Anjuman Mufidul Islam on Thursday for burial as unclaimed.
According to Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), the decision was made after exhaustive investigations—including DNA and fingerprint analysis—failed to confirm the victims’ identities. The burial was carried out under court directive.
The bodies were transferred from the Dhaka Medical College morgue around 12pm and taken to Jurain graveyard in the capital, where they were buried by Anjuman Mufidul Islam, a charity that handles the burial of unclaimed bodies.
High-ranking officials including DMP Joint Commissioner (Crime) Faruk Hossain, Ramna Division DC Masud Alam, Shahbagh Police Station OC Mohammad Khalid Munsur, and Dhaka Medical College Forensic Department Head Dr. Kazi Golam Mokhlesur Rahman were present during the handover. Kamrul Ahmed, a burial service officer, received the bodies on behalf of the charity.
Dr. Rahman confirmed that the bodies were brought to the morgue between August 7 and 14, 2024. Post-mortem examinations were conducted and DNA samples collected, but no matches could be found.
“One of the victims had bullet wounds, while the other five bore injuries caused by sharp-edged weapons,” Dr. Rahman said.
According to police, the deceased included three males aged approximately 20, 22, and 25, who were recovered from in front of Jatrabari Police Station on August 14, 2024. On the same day, the body of a 30-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman were also brought in. Earlier, on August 7, a 25-year-old man’s body had been recovered from Gulistan.
Despite efforts by Shahbagh police to compile forensic reports and investigate the cases, the identities of the deceased remained unknown. The bodies had been preserved in the morgue’s refrigeration unit since their arrival.
DMP Joint Commissioner Faruk Hossain stated that all collected evidence—including DNA and fingerprint data—has been archived. “If relatives come forward in the future, we will be able to proceed with legal action based on the preserved evidence,” he added.