A.F.M. Sayed, the former Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Ashulia police station, has been arrested as the alleged mastermind behind the incident where 46 protesters were shot dead, and their bodies burned during a student and public uprising in Ashulia.
He was arrested on Wednesday night (October 30) in Cox’s Bazar and has been brought to Dhaka, where he is being held at Shahbagh Police Station.
On Thursday (October 31), Sayed is expected to appear before the International Tribunal, as there was an arrest warrant against him.
On August 5, the Awami League government fell following the resignation and departure of Sheikh Hasina.
Later that evening, videos of bodies being stacked and burned surfaced, causing nationwide uproar.
Reports indicate that OC Sayed was directly involved in this horrific event, where he was on duty in plain clothes—wearing a blue polo shirt, black trousers, a bandage on one hand, and a wireless set in his pocket. He was seen smoking cigarettes repeatedly due to intense tension.
Four police officials, who witnessed the events leading up to the loading of bodies onto the van, revealed that OC Sayed led everything that unfolded at the site.
Under his direction, Arafat Uddin, then-Incharge of Ashulia Police Investigation Center, and Monir, Assistant Sub-Inspector of Ashulia Police Station, arranged petrol for burning the bodies. The petrol, brought in plastic bottles, was poured onto the vehicle in three rounds.
Notably, A.F.M. Sayed joined the police as an unarmed SI on February 23, 2006. He is the son of Md. Ismail from Miapara, Ward 4, Khulna City, with the police identification number BP-8006145336.
