Ex-BCL leader dies in police custody
A former Chhatra League leader in Chuadanga died just two hours after police picked him up on Saturday night. His family alleges that he fell victim to the grudge of a local influential.
Zahid Hasan, 37, was a resident of Joyrampur village in the district's Damurhuda upazila. He was the former vice-president of Chuadanga district Chhatra League.
A team of Damurhuda Police Station detained Zahid and his friend Habibur Rahman from Joyrampur Railway Station around 7:00pm because they were "taking drugs" and "recovered two bottles of phensedyl" from their possession, said Abdul Khaleq, officer-in-charge of the police station.
As Zahid fell sick around 8:30pm, he was first taken to Damurhuda Upazila Health Complex and later to Chuadanga Sadar Hospital where doctors declared him dead around 9:00pm, he said.
Zahidul Islam, superintendent of police (SP) in Chuadanga, said, "Zahid was taken to the health complex as he felt chest pain while being taken to the police station."
Shakil Arsalan, medical officer at Chuadanga Sadar Hospital, however, told The Daily Star that Zahid was brought dead to the hospital and that they had spotted several injury marks on the body.
Zahid's uncle Piyar Ali, claiming to be an eye witness, said police started beating the two immediately after detaining them.
The victim's wife Lipi Khatun told journalists that police detained him "following the instruction" of an influential local. She, however, did not mention any name.
Rezaul Karim, former president of Chuadanga Chhatra League and an eyewitness, said he requested police several times not to detain Zahid as he was a well-behaved person and a dedicated leader of Chhatra League.
But police did not pay any heed to him, he said.
Mohaimen Hasan Joarder, current president of Chuadanga Chhatra League, termed the incident "a killing" and demanded a fair investigation.
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