The death toll from the July 2024 mass uprising is expected to surpass United Nations’ preliminary estimate of 1,400 as investigations continue to uncover new evidence.
Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Md Aminul Islam, said the process of determining the actual number of martyrs is ongoing, with investigators drawing data from mass graves, hospitals, and other sources.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday after visiting a mass grave at Rayer Bazar Intellectuals Graveyard, he added that DNA testing is currently being used to identify several remains.
The chief prosecutor was accompanied during the visit by prosecutors Faruk Ahammed, Shahidul Islam Sarker, Gazi MH Tamim, Shaik Mahdi, Marjina Raihan Madina, Mohammad Oli Mia, and Rafiul Islam.
Systematic investigation of graves and hospitals
Aminul said the tribunal’s investigation agency is working to identify every individual buried in mass graves across the country, which will be inspected in phases. While some DNA reports have already been received, the investigation has also extended to scrutinising the role of various hospitals.
The chief prosecutor alleged that certain hospitals failed to formally register the names of the martyrs in their official records. Consequently, many victims were buried as unidentified [unclaimed], often without the required legal procedures such as inquests or post-mortems.
Bodies discarded in rivers
In a disturbing revelation, the investigation found evidence that bodies from one hospital were allegedly dumped into a river near Dhaka. Efforts are currently underway to identify the hospital authorities and individuals involved in the incident to ensure they face legal action.
The tribunal is currently working to contact the families of 1,400 victims listed in the UN report to individually verify their identities. Investigators believe the final death toll will rise significantly once the identities of those found in mass graves and those discarded in the river are fully confirmed.
