Former Ashulia police sub-inspector (SI) Sheikh Abzalul Haque, who turned state witness in a crimes against humanity case over the burning of six protesters’ bodies during the July uprising, has been released from prison following his acquittal.
He is the first accused in a July uprising case to be released after being acquitted by the International Crimes Tribunal.
Tribunal-2 acquitted him on February 5, and he was released from Kashimpur Central Jail-2 in Gazipur on October 13, the prison’s Jailer Md Arifur Rahman confirmed on Monday afternoon.
In the case, six accused, including former MP Saiful Islam, were sentenced to death, seven were handed life imprisonment, and two others were sentenced to seven years in prison. Abzalul Haque was acquitted.
A total of 16 people were accused in the case. Eight have been arrested, while the remaining eight are absconding.
The seven other arrested accused are former Savar Circle Additional Superintendent of Police Md Shahidul Islam, former Dhaka Additional Superintendent of Police Abdullahil Kafi, former Dhaka District Detective Branch (DB) Inspector Md Arafat Hossain, former Ashulia police sub-inspectors Abdul Malek, Arafat Uddin and Kamrul Hasan, and former police constable Mukul Chokdar.
Former MP Muhammad Saiful Islam is among the absconding accused.
The case was filed with the International Crimes Tribunal on September 11 over the killing of seven people in Ashulia on August 5, 2024, the day Sheikh Hasina was ousted from power. The charges included burning the bodies of six victims.
