A team of joint forces led by Captain Inam picked up 36-year-old Abdul Kader Molla from his Bagmara house and took him to their camp at 2:30am.

The victim's family accused the captain of killing him in the camp set up in the office of the ward No. 27 commissioner of Khulna City Corporation in Shitalabari.

Kader, who had led a crime cartel code-named Kaderia Bahini, is the first victim of death in custody after the latest anticrime drive of joint forces was launched last month in the wake of a rise in crimes in Khulna district.

Police found the body strapped to the iron grille of a window before they recovered and sent it to Khulna Medical College Hospital.

Kader's wife Baby, who was also beaten by the BDR captain, alleged Inam shouted abuse at her mother-in-law when they went to the camp to know the condition of Kader.

The captain, who heads the team of joint forces in Khulna Sonadanga Zone, could not be contacted for comments.

Police Commissioner Mustafizur Rahman said on a note of worry, "We are investigating the death of Kader in the camp."

"We are yet to know such an incident," State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar told The Daily Star yesterday evening.

Kader was evading arrest after he was sentenced to a 47-year rigorous imprisonment on several counts of crimes.

Sources linked a ward commissioner, belonging to the ruling BNP, to the crimes of Kader, as he they believe moulded him into a toll-taker.

The body was not handed over to Kader's family until early last night.

No-one was posted to Khulna Police Station as officer-in-charge since Shafizul Azam was closed to the police lines a few days back on charge of taking a bribe of Tk 3 lakh for releasing smuggler Shamsul Alam from custody 15 hours after arrest.