Fake July Revolution Claims Exposed by Police Investigations

A series of police investigations into deaths and attempted murders allegedly committed during the suppression of the July 2024 uprising in Bangladesh have revealed shocking discrepancies. Official reports submitted to the courts show that several highly publicised cases are entirely fabricated. In some instances, the individuals claimed to have been “martyred” are alive and working abroad, whilst in others, the listed complainants do not exist or have denied filing any charges.

The July 2024 uprising, which began as a student-led protest against the civil service quota system, escalated into a massive national movement. Fierce clashes occurred in Dhaka’s key entry points, including Jatrabari, Uttara, and Rampura. Following weeks of intense civil unrest and a heavy-handed crackdown by the Awami League government, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India on 5 August 2024.

While the United Nations estimates that around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil, official government gazettes put the figure closer to 850. In the immediate aftermath, hundreds of criminal cases were filed. Records from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) prosecution department show that 707 cases were registered across 50 police stations in Dhaka, naming over 5,079 suspects. However, police have now submitted final reports on 19 of these cases, explicitly branding three as completely “false” and revealing severe inconsistencies, forged paperwork, and fabricated identities in the remaining 16.

The ‘Martyr’ Working in Saudi Arabia

Perhaps the most startling revelation comes from a murder case filed at Hatirjheel Police Station. The complaint alleged that on 19 July 2024, a 46-year-old man named Mohammad Babu was shot dead by police during a protest on Ulon Road. The case accused former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, senior Awami League officials, and several police officers.

However, a final investigation report submitted to the court on 26 October 2025 painted a completely different picture. When officers visited the village of Borurkandi in Chandpur—the address linked to Babu’s National Identity Card—they discovered that the supposedly deceased man was alive and well. His actual name is Mohammad Shakil, and he is currently working in Saudi Arabia.

When contacted by journalists, Shakil sent a voice message confirming his safety:

“I did not die, brother. If I had died, how could I have come to Saudi Arabia? The police have already spoken to me about this. I am currently working here as a labourer.”

Further investigation revealed that the complainant, supposedly Shakil’s cousin Ismail, had no knowledge of the case. When police tracked down Ismail in Faridganj, he stated in court that he had never filed such a lawsuit and that someone else had misused his identity. Additionally, forensic checks proved that the death certificate attached to the case file was entirely counterfeit. The investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Russel Islam, subsequently requested the court to dismiss the case and exonerate all accused.

Fabricating Bullets from Minor Scratches

Another high-profile case has collapsed under the scrutiny of the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI). A lawsuit filed at Paltan Police Station by a man named Yasin Arafat claimed that a 24-year-old youth, Parvez Ali, was shot and killed on 19 July 2024. Arafat also claimed that he himself had sustained gunshot wounds during the incident, pointing the finger at prominent figures including Sheikh Hasina and former Dhaka South City Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taps.

The PBI investigation, however, could find no record or trace of the alleged victim, Parvez Ali. Furthermore, medical assessments and testimonies disproved Arafat’s claims of being shot. PBI Sub-Inspector Mohammad Masud Rana noted:

“The complainant had an old scar on his leg from a minor fall or scratch. He tried to present this minor scratch as a gunshot wound. Even his own father was unaware of any shooting, and Arafat failed to produce a single medical document to back up his claims.”

Local inquiries in Arafat’s hometown of Satkhira revealed that he was known to be politically active and highly opportunistic. Furthermore, investigators discovered that two truck drivers from Pabna, Abdul Motin and his nephew Najmul Hasan, had been named as suspects in the case simply due to an unrelated land dispute with a neighbour whose relative was friends with Arafat. Mobile phone records proved that the two drivers were hundreds of miles away in Pabna on the day of the alleged clash.

Legal Implications and Calls for Accountability

A similar pattern emerged in Adabor, where a murder case concerning the death of an “Ali Miah” was debunked by Sub-Inspector Tarun Kumar. The complainant, Toha Khan, could not be found, his phone number was disconnected, and the address provided in the case documents was non-existent.

These fabricated cases have sparked serious concern among legal experts regarding the integrity of the post-uprising judicial process. Under Section 211 of the Penal Code, filing false criminal charges to harm or harass innocent individuals is a punishable offence.

Senior Supreme Court advocate Jyotirmoy Barua warned that while criminal cases are evaluated individually, a rising tide of fraudulent claims could create systemic scepticism. If courts begin to doubt the authenticity of the charges, it may inadvertently harm genuine victims of the July crackdown who are desperately seeking justice. For now, the police maintain that legal action will be taken against those who filed these fraudulent claims, pending policy decisions from the interim government.