The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Bangladesh Police has collected DNA samples from the remains of 114 unidentified individuals who were buried as unclaimed bodies in Dhaka’s Rayerbazar during the July mass uprising. A report on the process was handed over today at the state guest house Jamuna.
The operation was conducted under the supervision of the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, with overall support from the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Health. DNA samples were collected between December 7 and December 27.
So far, nine families searching for missing relatives have provided DNA samples. Through testing, the identities of eight martyrs have been successfully confirmed. The CID has verified that all identified individuals were killed by gunshot wounds.
The identified martyrs are Shohel Rana (38), Rafiqul Islam (52), Asadullah (32), Mahin Mia (32), Faisal Sarker (26), Parvez Bepari (23), Kabil Hossain (58), and Rafiqul Islam (29).
To ensure transparency, neutrality, and compliance with international standards, the CID engaged internationally recognized forensic science expert Dr. Morris Tidball-Binz, who provided guidance and training in the field of human rights and humanitarian forensic work.
The CID has requested families whose members went missing while participating in the July–August mass uprising to contact its hotline at 01320019999.
After receiving the report, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus thanked everyone involved in the initiative. He stated that the brutality carried out by the then government was rare in world history, noting that killing one’s own citizens and burying them in mass graves is unimaginable in any civilized state.
He added that uncovering the truth and restoring the identities of the martyrs is a significant step toward justice for families of the missing and reflects the state’s moral responsibility. Professor Yunus emphasized that the DNA identification effort proves that truth cannot be suppressed forever and that the names and identities of the fallen will return and be permanently recorded in the nation’s history.
He further described the initiative as more than a forensic operation, calling it a humanitarian effort to ease the suffering of families, restore the moral standing of the state, and advance justice. For those still searching for their loved ones, he said, this effort represents hope that the truth will eventually emerge.
CID Chief Additional Inspector General Md. Sibgat Ullah shared a moving account, stating that a martyr’s mother regularly visited the CID and would stand beside a grave under a tree in Rayerbazar. Remarkably, her son’s body was later found buried beneath that very tree.
He also noted that the establishment of on-site laboratories for immediate sample testing has significantly enhanced the police force’s forensic capabilities.
Others present at the meeting included Liberation War Affairs Adviser Faruk-e-Azam, Professor Dr. Kazi Golam Mokhlesur Rahman of Dhaka Medical College Hospital’s Forensic Medicine Department, CID DIGs Md. Jamsher Ali and Mia Masud Karim, CID SSP Mohammad Monirul Islam, Deputy Chief DNA Analyst Ahmad Ferdous, and UN Human Rights Office representative Md. Zahid Hossain.
