Former Ashulia police sub-inspector Sheikh Afzalul on Thursday admitted that he committed crimes against humanity in Ashulia during the July 2024 uprising.
He has now turned into a state witness after expressing his desire to reveal the true facts behind the killings.
Afzalul pleaded guilty before a three-member tribunal led by Justice Nozrul Islam Chowdhury, with Judges Manjurul Bashid and Nur Mohammad Shahriar Kabir.
After the charges were read out, the tribunal asked whether he would plead guilty and he responded affirmatively.
Following his admission, the tribunal separated Afzalul from the other accused, summoned him before the bench, and ordered that he be held in a separate, secure cell.
The tribunal set September 14 for the prosecution to deliver its opening statement, officially beginning the trial.
Charges have been framed against 15 other accused in the case. Of them, eight appeared in court when the charges were read out.
The detained persons include dismissed additional SP Abdullah Al Kafi, former additional SP Md Shahidul Islam, DB inspector Md Arafat Hossain Arju, sub-inspectors Arafat Uddin and Abdul Malek, ASI Kamrul Hasan, and former constable Mukul Chowkder,
The seven absconding accused included former independent MP for Dhaka-12 Saiful Islam, former DIG Nurul Islam, former SP Asaduzzaman Ripon, former additional SP Saidul Islam and former Ashulia OC AFM Sayeed Roni.
Earlier, the International Crimes Tribunal-2 concluded hearings on whether charges should be framed against the 16. It set August 21 to announce its decision.
聽All 16 have been charged in connection with the killing of six protesters, and the burning of their bodies in Ashulia on August 5, 2024. The prosecution said 29 people were killed during the protests overall.
According to the formal complaint, police opened fire on demonstrators, killing five and injuring another. The victims鈥� bodies were allegedly loaded into a police van, doused with petrol, and burned.
The chief prosecutor鈥檚 office received multiple complaints regarding the incident. The investigation agency launched its probe on October 6, 2024. Formal charges were submitted by chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam on July 3, 2025.