Four bodies recovered from Turag river: What we know so far

On June 22, police conducted an operation at the Turag river's trawler ghat in Ashulia, Dhaka, targeting leaders and activists of the banned Awami League who had arrived on a trawler. According to family members and eyewitnesses, several people jumped into the river to flee during the police chase. In the days that followed, four bodies were recovered from various locations along the river. The police narrative and the accounts of witnesses and family members present conflicting versions of the incident.

How the incident unfolded
On the morning of June 22, several young men, including Md Sumon, 17, and Arif Hasan Rakib, 20, left their homes in the Ranavola area of Turag Thana. Sumon's uncle, Md Jewel Babu, said Sumon left home around 11:00 am. He later learned that Sumon had participated in an Awami League procession in the Rustampur area of Ashulia. After the procession, they boarded a trawler towards the Ashulia cattle market ghat. On June 21, Sumon had posted a photo of the Awami League procession on his Facebook account, indicating his political affiliation. His family said they were unaware of his involvement in politics.

What happened at the ghat
Eyewitnesses said the trawler, carrying 30-35 people, docked at the Ashulia cattle market ghat when 8-9 uniformed police and another 8-9 plainclothes personnel gave chase. Passengers tried to flee — some jumping into the river, others running through bushes. Police boarded the trawler and detained four people, later detaining three more from the bushes. The seven were handcuffed and taken to the police station. Police used the same trawler to search for those who had jumped into the river but found no one.

One eyewitness, 50, who was having tea nearby, said he saw people jumping into the water after police arrived. Another witness said stones were thrown at those who had jumped into the river.

Families search for answers
Sumon's uncle Jewel Babu said the family searched for Sumon for three days. They approached Turag and Ashulia police but were not informed of the incident. On June 25, police informed the family that fishermen had spotted a body. The body was identified by documents and five mobile phones found in the pocket.

Arif Hasan Rakib's uncle, Asadul Islam, declined to comment, saying they were traumatised.

Two contradictory cases
Two separate cases have been filed over the incident, with notable discrepancies. On June 23, Ashulia Police Station SI Rashidul Zaman filed an anti-terrorism case naming 21 individuals and 45 unnamed suspects, mostly leaders and activists of the banned Awami League and its associate bodies. The case statement mentions police dispersing the group but makes no mention of the boat or anyone jumping into the river.

On the other hand, an unnatural death case filed by Sumon's brother states that Sumon and 20-22 others went on a boat trip and accidentally fell into the water. However, the complainant acknowledged that the case was filed according to police instructions to avoid trouble.

Lawyer's account
Defence lawyer Arif Sarkar Pavel said the arrested seven were produced in court on June 23. The court rejected the remand application and ordered one day of interrogation at the jail gate. According to the accused, they were chased by Turag police and BNP activists while holding a procession, leading them to flee to Ashulia ghat, where police and BNP activists attacked them.

Body recoveries
Following the incident, four bodies were recovered from various parts of the Turag river. Police have claimed the deaths were accidental, while family members and eyewitnesses have alleged police involvement.

Police position
Dhaka District Police Superintendent Shamima Parveen claimed at a press conference that the deaths were accidental and that a vested quarter was spreading misinformation for political purposes. She warned that those spreading propaganda would face legal action. The investigating officer, SI Rashidul, said he was unaware of anyone jumping from the boat.