DHAKA — The International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) has determined that the 2024 July Mass Uprising was characterized by a systematic pattern of repression rather than isolated incidents of police misconduct. The tribunal's landmark judgment, delivered on April 9, 2026, identified high-level institutional policies involving'shoot-on-sight' orders and the use of state apparatus to crush dissent.
The case was sparked by the fatal shooting of Begum Rokeya University student Abu Sayed by police in Rangpur on July 16, 2024. The ICT-2 held that this killing constituted a crime against humanity, describing it as an act of deliberate brutality against innocent civilians.
In its 809-page judgment, the tribunal sentenced former assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Amir Hossain and former constable Sujan Chandra Roy to death. It also identified several high-ranking officials, including former assistant commissioner Md Arifuzzaman and former officer-in-charge of Tajhat Police Station Md Robiul Islam, sentencing them to life imprisonment for their roles in the events.
The tribunal found 25 others guilty, including former Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur (BRUR) vice-chancellor Prof Dr Md Hasibur Rashid and former Rangpur Metropolitan Police commissioner Md Moniruzzaman. Twenty-four were sentenced to various jail terms, while one was released due to time already served in custody.
The judgment highlighted the collaboration between university officials, police commanders, and political cadres in facilitating murders and torture. The tribunal emphasized that the sentences were intended to balance the rights of the accused with the victims' entitlement to truth and accountability, serving as a warning against the misuse of state power.
