The bodies of two children who had gone missing the previous day were recovered from a sand pit in Gangachara upazila of Rangpur on Wednesday (6 August) afternoon.

The victims were identified as Maruf Mia (6), son of Jakirul Islam, and Abdur Rahman (7), son of Abdur Rashid—both residents of Dangi Paikan village and pre-primary students of a local government primary school.

According to locals, the children went out to play on Tuesday morning when school was closed and never returned. After extensive searches, Maruf’s body was found in a deep sand pit with a rope and plastic bottle tied around his neck. Fire service personnel later recovered the body of Abdur Rahman from the same pit.

Eyewitnesses claimed signs of injury were found on the bodies, and alleged that someone tried to prevent them from searching the sand area. Family members believe the children were deliberately killed.

“We suspect foul play behind their deaths,” said Officer-in-Charge Al Emran of Gangachara Model Police Station, adding that the bodies have been sent for autopsy to determine the cause of death.

A symbolic execution of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was staged on Tuesday (5 July) at 10:36 AM in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka, organized by two groups—Jagroto July and July Oikya.

Organizers claimed the act was carried out to hold Hasina accountable in the “People’s Court” for her alleged role in the BDR mutiny, the Shapla Chattar massacre, and the July 24 killings. The groups called her the “main orchestrator” of these events.

Present at the symbolic event were former military officer Lt. Col. Hasinur Rahman, Inqilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman bin Hadi, former student leader A.B. Zubayer, journalist Israfill Farazi, and Jagroto July’s senior vice-president Shamim Hamid, among others.

The symbolic verdict was read out by Advocate Tanzina Ferdous, legal secretary of Jagroto July. The “accused’s” pressure and heartbeat were checked by Raihan Madrazi. Alif Zawfi acted as the executioner, Mustafa Hossain recited the Islamic declaration of faith, and the entire staging was directed by Aziz Saifullah. The event was presided over by poet Munshi Borhan Mahmud, founder and spokesperson of Jagroto July.

Speakers at the event emphasized that while the execution was symbolic, their demand for real legal consequences should not remain symbolic. They called for the trial and sentencing of Sheikh Hasina and others accused of mass killings to be completed within a year, before the second anniversary of the July uprising.

Jamal Hossain, a former leader of the fourth-class employees’ association at Mohakhali’s National Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital (NIDCH), has died after being shot by unknown assailants. He passed away in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Dhaka Medical College Hospital shortly after midnight on Monday (August 4).

Jamal, 40, was a current staff member of the hospital and had previously served as the general secretary of the fourth-class employees’ office club. He was a resident of the hospital’s staff quarters. His family hails from Sonaiamuri in Noakhali district.

The shooting occurred on Friday night (August 1) around 8:15 PM near the office club inside the hospital compound. According to Jamal’s elder brother Md. Salauddin Sajal, two masked assailants fired a gunshot at Jamal from a distance. The bullet entered the back of his head and exited near his eye. He was critically injured and immediately admitted to the ICU at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Family members allege that Jamal was actively campaigning to contest again for the position of general secretary in the upcoming employees’ union election. His brother Jasim Uddin stated that Jamal had received threats from some individuals warning him not to run for the post.

Police have confirmed that a case has been filed with Banani Police Station and an investigation is currently underway. Inspector Md. Faruk, in charge of the Dhaka Medical College Police Camp, provided the confirmation.