Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday condemned the killing of citizens and their burial in mass graves, calling it “unimaginable in any civilized state,” while receiving a DNA identification report from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the State Guest House Jamuna.
The report confirmed the identities of eight individuals out of 114 bodies buried as unidentified at Rayer Bazar during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.
After receiving the report, Chief Adviser Yunus thanked all involved, saying, “The brutal acts carried out by the then government are rare in world history. The killing of a country’s own citizens and burying them in mass graves is unimaginable in any civilized state.”
“This DNA identification process proves that the truth cannot be suppressed forever. The names and identities of the deceased will be restored, and their sacrifices will remain permanently recorded in the nation’s history,” Prof Yunus said.
The program was conducted under the supervision of the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, with support from the ministries of Home Affairs and Health. DNA samples were collected between December 7 and December 27. Nine families searching for their missing relatives provided samples, and testing confirmed the identities of eight martyrs, all killed by gunshot wounds.
The identified martyrs were Sohel Rana (38), Rafiqul Islam (52), Asadullah (32), Mahin Mia (32), Faisal Sarker (26), Parvez Bepari (23), Kabil Hossain (58), and Rafiqul Islam (29).
CID Chief Additional Inspector General Sibgat Ullah highlighted the personal toll of the tragedy: “The mother of one martyr used to visit the CID regularly, standing beside a grave under a tree at Rayer Bazar. Remarkably, her son’s body was later found buried beneath that very tree.”
He added that establishing a laboratory on-site for sample testing significantly enhanced operational capacity.
To ensure transparency and adherence to international standards, the CID engaged internationally recognized forensic expert Dr. Maurice Tidball-Binz, who provided guidance and training, particularly in human rights and humanitarian forensic work.
Professor Yunus described the initiative as more than a forensic exercise: “It is about wiping away the tears of families of the missing, restoring the humane face of the state, and taking a courageous step toward justice. For those still waiting for news of their loved ones, this work is a beacon of hope—the truth will come to light one day.”
The CID has urged families whose members went missing during the July–August mass uprising to contact its hotline at 01320019999.
Other attendees included Liberation War Affairs Adviser Faruk-e-Azam; Professor Dr. Kazi Golam Mukhlesur Rahman of Dhaka Medical College Hospital’s Department of Forensic Medicine; CID DIGs Md Jamsher Ali and Mia Masud Karim; CID Senior Superintendent Mohammad Monirul Islam; CID Deputy Chief DNA Analyst Ahmad Ferdous; and Zahid Hossain, representative of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
