19-yr-old dies at rehabilitation centre: family claims torture, rehab authorities say suicide
A 19-year-old boy was found dead today at a rehabilitation centre in Dhaka's Malibagh area this afternoon.
The authorities of Holy Life Drug Rehabilitation Centre said Yeasin Mia died by suicide in a toilet of the centre. Yeasin's family, however, claims he was tortured to death by staffers of the centre.
The deceased's father Masum Mia said Yeasin, youngest among three siblings, was admitted to the rehab centre on January 22 after he had threatened the family with suicide.
"The authorities took Tk 22,000 monthly for treatment and said they care for their patients…I went to visit my son on Thursday but was not allowed. I came back after giving Tk 5,000 to them."
The father said "an official called me this afternoon to rush to the rehab. When I got there, I saw they were taking out my son in an unconscious state. He was taken to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him dead.
"They said my son killed himself... But we believe my son was tortured to death and later hanged to brand it as suicide," the father claimed.
Talking to The Daily Star, Riaz Uddin, a director of the centre, claimed the boy died by suicide.
Sub-inspector Mohammad Shahjahan of Hatirjheel Police Station said on information, police sent the body to Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy.
Sohel Mahmud, head of forensic medicine department at the hospital, said they primarily suspect it was a case of suicide.
There are some old injury marks on his left hand and chest, he said.
"We collected tissue from the neck, viscera and other samples for further tests. We will be able to say the actual cause of death after receiving the reports of the test," he said.
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