Chhatra League activist dies in jail from alleged police torture

A Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activist of Barisal died in Sylhet jail custody last Wednesday from alleged brutal police torture.

Zahirul Amin Zahid, 26, vice president of Uzirpur upazila unit of Awami League's student wing, went on a pilgrimage to Hajrat Shahjalal Shrine in Sylhet some 10 days ago. His family had no knowledge of him since August 17 until Thursday when they were informed by jail and police authorities of his death the previous day.

Sylhet Kotwali police nabbed him on August 17 on suspicion as he was roaming around the shrine aimlessly, tortured him and then sent him to jail showing him arrested under Section 54 of the Criminal Procedure Code, Zahir, his elder brother told local journalists.

Zahid's relatives said they found numerous marks of torture and injury on his body when it reached his Uzirpur home yesterday.

The authorities of Sylhet jail sent Zahid to Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital (OMCH) at 5:35pm Wednesday only to be declared dead by doctors on duty.

Once before on August 23, the jailers had sent a critically wounded Zahid to the hospital for treatment and brought back on August 24, his brother said citing prison and hospital records.

"The cops have killed my brother," he alleged, adding he would file a case against them.

To the OMCH, the jail authorities said Zahid was mentally deranged and had been refusing to eat.

Neither the jailers nor the OMCH authorities stated the reason of his death. The hospital did carry out an autopsy of the body but its report is yet to be prepared.