OC Sayed, ASI Bishwajit burnt six bodies in Ashulia

A former policeman testifying for the state in the case over the burning of six bodies in Dhaka's Ashulia during the July uprising has said the ex-chief (OC) and an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of the local police station doused the corpses in petrol before setting them on fire, report agencies.
State witness Sheikh Afzalul Haque testified before the International Crimes Tribunal-2 on Wednesday.
A two-member bench of the tribunal, comprising retired district and sessions judges Manjurul Bashid and Nur Mohammad Shahriar Kabir, recorded his statement.
Afzalul later sought forgiveness from the families of those killed in the uprising and the tribunal.
In his testimony, he detailed the events of August 5, 2024, saying that he was not present when the bodies were set on fire.
He, however, came to know about the bodies being burnt when he came to submit his issued weapon on August 15.
He said the then OC of Ashulia Police Station, AFM Sayed, and ASI Bishwajit Saha poured petrol on and burnt the six bodies.
On July 2, the prosecution submitted formal charges against 16 people to the tribunal in the much-discussed case. The tribunal accepted the charges and issued arrest warrants against eight absconding defendants.
Along with the formal charges, the prosecution submitted 313 pages of documents, a list of 62 witnesses, 168 pages of documentary evidence, and two pen drives.
The tribunal later accepted the charges brought against the 16 accused. The hearing on charge framing began on August 7. After completing the hearings on August 13, the court fixed August 21 for indictment.
The complaint alleges that on August 5, 2024, police opened fire in the Savar's Ashulia area, killing five people and critically injuring another.