A Chattogram court has acquitted all five remaining suspects in the 1997 killing of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leader Sinaul Haque Ashiq, ending a decades-long trial that Awami League leaders and activists say has failed to deliver justice.
The verdict was handed down on Monday by Chittagong Divisional Special Judge Mizanur Rahman, nearly three decades after Ashiq—then assistant general secretary of the Government City College Students’ Council—was gunned down in broad daylight in Mehedibagh.
Bench Assistant Md Shahed Kabir told The Voice that “the five suspects have been acquitted as the charges were not proven.” The accused are Tinku Dutta, Salauddin, Taslim Uddin, Shahnewaz, and Md Hossain. Three were present in the courtroom during the ruling, while two remain absconding.
A Brutal Killing That Shook Chattogram
On July 6, 1997, Ashiq was leaving a wedding ceremony in Chattogram’s Mehedibagh area when unidentified gunmen opened fire. Ashiq died instantly, while another man, Habib, was injured.
The murder sent shockwaves through the Awami League’s student wing. The killing of a young leader, known for his organizational skills and growing popularity, became emblematic of the dangers faced by pro-AL activists in opposition strongholds.
Ashiq’s father, Abul Kashem, filed a case with Panchlaish Model Police Station the same night. Police later submitted a charge sheet against eight individuals, including Wasim Uddin Chowdhury, a former councillor and vice-president of the Omargani MES College Students’ Council.
Twists in a Long Legal Saga
Over the years, the case became entangled in legal and political complexities. In 2011, under the Awami League government, the Ministry of Home Affairs recommended that three names—including that of Wasim—be dropped from the case. Officials argued that there was insufficient evidence against them.
Still, five defendants remained on trial. Yet, with witnesses retracting statements, prolonged absences of key figures, and what Awami League activists describe as “systematic weakening of the case”, the trial dragged on until this week’s verdict.
Awami League Reaction: Justice Denied
Local Awami League leaders and Chhatra League activists in Chattogram expressed dismay after the ruling. Many argue that the court’s decision sends a troubling message about impunity for political killings.
“This was not just the murder of a young leader,” one BCL activist told The Voice. “It was an attack on the spirit of student politics aligned with the liberation struggle. After 28 years, the killers walk free, while Ashiq’s family and comrades get nothing but heartbreak.”
Pattern of Acquittals
Human rights activist and freedom fighter Tajul Imam linked the verdict to a wider pattern of judicial manipulation that, he said, began under the army-backed interim government led by Muhammad Yunus in 2004.
“The acquittal of those accused in cases involving the killing of Awami League leaders and supporters has become a common trend since the army-backed, pro-Islamist interim government led by Muhammad Yunus took power in August 2004,” Tajul Imam told The Voice.
“In a shocking reversal of justice, all the convicts of the August 21, 2004 grenade attack and massacre were acquitted by the Supreme Court—as if the carnage had been carried out not by men, but by invisible spirits from the heavens.”
He added: “Soon after the political changeover, Supreme Court judges were forced to resign, and a new set of judges was appointed by the unconstitutional regime in violation of all accepted norms, apparently to ensure that the justice system remained firmly under its control.”
For many within the Awami League, the Ashiq acquittal is just the latest chapter in this long-standing trend of impunity, judicial interference, and denial of justice.
A Broader Pattern of Campus Violence
The Ashiq case echoes many other instances where student leaders affiliated with the Awami League have been targeted. In the 1990s, clashes with rival groups often turned deadly, particularly in Chattogram, Dhaka, and Khulna.
For the Awami League, the failure to secure justice for Ashiq’s killing raises painful questions about how Bangladesh addresses political violence. Critics within the party argue that unless justice is delivered, future generations of activists may feel unprotected in their political work.
Family’s Long Wait
Ashiq’s family members have endured nearly three decades of legal hearings, adjournments, and appeals. They hoped for closure—but instead watched as suspects were acquitted for “lack of evidence.”
One relative said: “For us, this case was not only about punishing individuals. It was about proving that political killings cannot be erased by time. We feel abandoned.”
