Chattogram Jail: Mystery over identity of dead foreign prisoner
Conundrum over the identity of a foreign prisoner, who died of AIDS on January 18 while undergoing treatment at Chattogram Medical College Hospital, remains as the authorities of Chattogram Central Jail are yet to confirm his identity.
He was sent to jail in two cases with different names and addresses, and nine days after his passing, authorities could not verify his name or nationality.
The body is being kept at the mortuary of the hospital's emergency unit. Prison authorities, however, have requested CMCH to preserve the corpse instead of keeping it there. The hospital is yet to respond.
According to jail sources, name of the deceased is Than, 46. Law enforcers arrested him from a boat in Teknaf on June 12, 2014 on the charges of human trafficking.
Two cases -- one under Human Trafficking Prevention and Suppression Act and another for attempted murder, were filed with Teknaf Police Station on the same date. He was sent to Cox's Bazar jail on June 15, 2014.
Sources at Chattogram jail said according to the custody warrant (CW) of the first case, his name his Than, son of Che, hailing from Ronang under Pokad district of Myanmar.
In the second case, he was mentioned as a Thai citizen with the same name. However, according to the produce warrant (PW) of the case, his name is Myo Zaw, son of U Aya Onei, a resident of Zaryun village under Rangon district of Myanmar.
The issue apparently went unnoticed.
As the prisoner fell sick at Cox's Bazar district jail, he was sent to Chattogram jail. He was shifted to CMCH for treatment on January 13.
Suffering from “Non Specific Abdominal Pain and Per Rectal Bleeding, HIV, the prisoner died at CMCH on January 18,” said jail officials citing the death certificate.
While preparing the paperwork, the identity confusion came to light.
Contacted, Kamal Hossain, senior superintendent of Chattogram Central Jail, said, “We are trying to find out his true identity. We have already sent letters to the authorities concerned, including the prison headquarters, deputy inspector general (prison) of Chattogram jail, district magistrate and superintendent of Cox's Bazar jail in this regard.”
Meanwhile, Chattogram jail authorities have to pay Tk 1,000 per day to CMCH to keep the corpse at the mortuary, said jail sources.
Hence, they sent a letter to CMCH director to take steps for preserving the corpse with chemicals, considering expense and lengthy legal procedure.
Asked, Brig Gen Mohsen Uddin Ahmed, director of CMCH, told The Daily Star, “It's quite difficult for us to preserve the corpse using chemicals… We will take a decision in this regard though discussion.”