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TL;DR
- Police in Ashulia allegedly burned the bodies of protesters after a violent crackdown on August 5.
- Eyewitnesses recount the horrifying incident, claiming the victims were shot and then set on fire.
- Conflicting reports arise about who gave the order to open fire, with accusations directed at police officials.
- The incident is under investigation, with multiple police officers named in a related murder case.
On August 5, a significant date in Bangladesh’s political history, chaos erupted outside the Ashulia police station. As dictator Sheikh Hasina fled the country amidst a popular uprising, police allegedly opened fire on protesting students and citizens who had surrounded the station. Eyewitnesses reported that after the crowd dispersed, police officers stacked the lifeless bodies onto a van. A video of this incident went viral on social media on August 31, prompting further investigation by NTV Online.
Eyewitness Nazma Begum provided a harrowing account of that day, describing how “the bodies were loaded onto a police pickup truck in the station’s parking area and then set on fire.” She mentioned that the incident occurred in front of the office family quarters of Islam Polymers and Plasticizers Limited. “I have woken up several times over the past 25 days, haunted by what I saw. I have become mentally ill,” she stated.
Among the victims was a 16-year-old school student, As-Sabur, who had joined the anti-discrimination student movement in Ashulia. His brother, Rezwanul Islam, recounted the gruesome events: “My brother fell to the ground after being shot. From a distance, I helplessly watched as the police picked him up and threw him on top of other bodies in the van. They then set the pickup truck on fire. I felt as though he was still alive at that moment. It seemed like they burned my dear younger brother alive.”
Another witness, Mobarak Hossain, recalled the chaos, saying, “It seemed as if the police had gone mad. They were shooting at anyone they saw. I saw people being killed like birds. After a while, a foul smell filled the air. When the situation calmed down, I went closer and saw a pile of charred bodies. The police had fled the station.”
At the time, the officer-in-charge of the Ashulia police station was A.F.M. Sayed, who has since been transferred to the Armed Police Battalion. Reflecting on the events, Sayed explained, “My family was staying in the quarters above the station. Before the situation worsened, I told them to leave through the back door. We had no choice but to fire in self-defense. However, we acted under orders from above. If you have questions, ask Kafi Sir.”
Kafi refers to Additional Superintendent of Police Md. Abdullahil Kafi, who was in charge of Savar, Ashulia, and Dhamrai police stations. When contacted, Kafi denied giving any orders, stating, “I didn’t go to Savar that day, so how could I give orders?” He further explained, “I left my house late that day. When I realized the situation was out of control near Gabtoli, I moved to a safer place.”
However, conflicting accounts have emerged regarding Kafi’s involvement. Officer-in-charge A.F.M. Sayed insisted that “Sir gave us several instructions over the wireless throughout the day. We thought he was giving commands from Savar.” Mohammad Riaz Uddin Ahmed (Biplob), the officer-in-charge of Dhaka North Detective Branch (DB), also stated, “We followed Kafi Sir’s commands. He was connected with us on the wireless the whole time.”
Since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government and her escape from the country, Abdullahil Kafi has not been seen in Savar. Recently, Dhaka District Superintendent of Police Md. Asaduzzaman was transferred to the Sardah Police Academy, and Ahmad Moid took over the position.
On August 29, during a special welfare and discussion meeting for the newly appointed Dhaka District Superintendent of Police, Abdullahil Kafi, an accused in the murder case of student Shaikh As-Sahabul Yamin, was seen beside the superintendents.
During the anti-discrimination student movement, Yamin, a student of the Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) in Mirpur, was the first to be killed by police gunfire in Savar on July 18. Following this incident, on August 25, Yamin’s uncle, Abdullah Al Kabir, filed a murder case in the court of Dhaka Senior Judicial Magistrate Md. Saiful Islam, naming Kafi and 49 others as accused. Sources confirm that the police headquarters is closely investigating this matter.
Source: NTV
