The International Crimes Tribunal-2 has accepted formal charges against 19 people in a crimes against humanity case over the killing of Ashabul Yamin, who was allegedly thrown from an armoured personnel carrier (APC) in Savar during the anti-government protests in July 2024.
The order formally begins the trial against the accused. The tribunal also issued arrest warrants for those who remain absconding.
The victim, Ashabul Yamin, was a fourth-year student of the Computer Science and Engineering Department at the Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST).
The order was passed on Sunday by International Crimes Tribunal-2, headed by Chairman Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury. Prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim represented the prosecution.
The tribunal issued arrest warrants against 13 of the accused and ordered those already detained in other cases to be produced before it on 25 August.
The accused are former Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime and Operations) of Dhaka district Md Abdullahil Kafi, former Dhaka-19 lawmaker Saiful Islam, former Deputy Inspector General of Dhaka Range Syed Nurul Islam, former Superintendent of Police Asaduzzaman Ripon, former Additional Superintendent of Police (Savar Circle) Md Shahidul Islam, former Officer-in-Charge of Savar Police Station Shahzaman, former Officer-in-Charge of Ashulia Police Station AFM Sayed, Assistant Sub-Inspector Mohammad Ali, Nayek Suhel Mia, Constable Mahfuz Mia, former Savar Upazila Chairman Manjurul Alam Rajib, Dhaka District Awami League Joint General Secretary Fakhrul Alam Samar, Savar Upazila Chhatra League President Md Atikur Rahman, Mehdi Hasan Tushar, the youngest son of former Savar municipality mayor Abdul Gani, former Upazila Chairman Rajib’s personal assistant Raju Ahmed, Md Farid, Zaman Khan, Dhaka District Jubo League President GS Mizan, and Sharif Ashraful Alam Babul.
Of them, six are currently detained in connection with other cases, while the remaining accused are absconding.
According to the prosecution, on 18 July 2024 police and Awami League activists attacked a peaceful Anti-Discrimination Student Movement demonstration at Savar Bazar Bus Stand. Yamin was allegedly seized and dragged to a police armoured personnel carrier, where he was shot in the left side of the chest at around 1:30pm. The bullet left numerous splinters lodged in his chest.
The prosecution alleged that police officers then dragged Yamin onto the top of the APC and drove it around the protest site to intimidate the protesting students and civilians before throwing him onto the road in a near-lifeless condition. At the same time, a police officer inside the APC was allegedly ordered to get out and shoot him again in the leg.
Believing Yamin to be dead, the officer allegedly did not carry out the order. Instead, he dragged Yamin across the road and left him beside the central divider. Witnesses reportedly saw that Yamin was still breathing. Local residents later rescued him and took him to Enam Medical College Hospital in Savar, where doctors declared him dead.
