The prosecution on Sunday filed formal charges against 19 people, including former lawmaker Saiful Islam, in a crimes against humanity case over the killing of Ashabul Yamin during the July 2024 uprising in Savar.
The formal charges were submitted to the registrar of the International Crimes Tribunal.
Following the submission, the prosecution said the charges were filed after reviewing the investigation report prepared by the tribunal's investigation agency. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Sunday.
Seven of the accused are currently in jail. They are former Dhaka additional superintendent of police (Crime and Operations) Md Abdullahil Kafi, former additional superintendent of police (Savar Circle) Md Shahidul Islam, assistant sub-inspector Mohammad Ali, Nayek Sohel, Mizanur Rahman, Zakir Hossain and Constable Masud Mia.
Ashabul Yamin was a fourth-year student in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST).
According to the prosecution, on July 18, 2024, police and Awami League leaders and activists attacked a peaceful anti-discrimination student protest at the Savar Bazar bus stand.
It alleged that Yamin was dragged onto a police armoured vehicle and shot in the left side of his chest around 1:30pm. Despite being critically injured, he was allegedly kept on the vehicle as it was driven around the area to intimidate protesters before being thrown onto the road.
The prosecution further alleged that a police officer was ordered to shoot Yamin again in the leg. Believing him to be dead, the officer instead dragged him across the road and left him beside the road divider.
Yamin, who was still alive at the time, was later rescued by locals and taken to Enam Medical College Hospital in Savar, where doctors declared him dead.