114 July martyrs' exhumation begins for post-mortem, DNA tests

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) started the process of exhuming and identifying the bodies of July Mass Uprising martyrs buried near the Rayerbazar Memorial, following internationally recognised forensic protocols.

Speaking at a briefing at the Rayerbazar graveyard on Sunday morning, CID Chief Mohammad Sibgat Ullah said around 114 unidentified martyrs of the July movement were buried there in the aftermath of the upheaval.

The identification process, he noted, would be lengthy but essential.

“Those who sacrificed their lives like Anas and others, who spilt their blood for the country on the streets, deserve our highest respect,” he said.

“Many who lie here were buried without names or verification. Revealing their identities is a responsibility to the nation and today marks the beginning of that noble task.”

A temporary forensic lab has been set up inside the Rayerbazar graveyard to collect DNA samples from the exhumed remains. The excavation work has already begun, officials confirmed.

The CID chief said the entire process is being conducted under the Minnesota Protocol, the UN’s international guideline for investigating unlawful deaths.

“These bodies will be exhumed following global standards, and DNA tests will be conducted. If family members wish, the remains will be handed over to them. Otherwise, after examination, they will be reburied with due religious dignity.”

He added that as part of global practice in cases of mass killings, the Minnesota Protocol ensures proper investigation, chain of custody and scientific handling of remains.

“This process takes time. It is not possible to say when it will be completed,” he said.

International forensic anthropologist Luis Fondebrider, who has been working with the CID for the past three months, was present at the briefing.

Fondebrider, who has led similar operations in 65 countries over four decades, assured that the procedures would maintain international forensic standards.

“I guarantee that the work will be done according to international rules. The local agency (CID) will receive full technical support,” he said.

Sibgat Ullah noted that through the UN human rights agency OHCHR, Fondebrider arrived in Dhaka to lead the operation.

“All stakeholders including the city corporation, Dhaka Medical College, forensic teams, DMP and divisional administration, have been trained for this task.”

According to CID, each body will undergo post-mortem, bone and tissue sample collection and DNA profiling before reburial. So far, about 114 graves have been identified based on applications, though the actual number may vary.

Family members who wish to reclaim the bodies after identification will be allowed to do so, the CID chief said.

“We do not yet know who lies in which grave. Therefore, the duration cannot be predicted. But we firmly believe that we will be able to identify all the martyrs.”

Reporters were requested not to photograph the remains during the process.

More than a hundred victims of the July uprising were buried in a designated area at Rayerbazar, which the city corporation later enclosed with marble and tiles.

During a visit to the graveyard on 2 August, Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said the government intended to identify the martyrs using DNA testing.

He noted at the time that while many families were initially hesitant about exhumation, most had eventually agreed.

“If the families want to take the remains back to their home districts, the government will permit it,” he had said.