Another death in cop custody

A man was allegedly tortured to death in police custody at Nalitabari in Sherpur, prompting locals to protest with his body at a programme of Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury yesterday.
The victim, Azhar Uddin, 55, a resident of Sanyasivita in Nalitabari upazila, was reportedly given electric shocks at Nalitabari Police Station where he was kept.
His wife Saleha Begum alleged that policemen tortured her husband to death and demanded trial of those responsible.
Incensed, relatives and locals paraded the main roads of the municipality in a procession carrying Azhar's body and demanding justice.
At one stage, they entered the upazila parishad premises where Matia Chowdhury was distributing Vulnerable Group Feeding rice and relief. They sought justice from her.
Matia assured them of a probe and trial of the culprits.
Police claimed that Azhar was arrested on Wednesday in connection with the murder of one Rahim.
Suruj Ali, son of the victim, said he saw police giving his father electric shocks at Nalitabari Police Station when he went there with food for him on Thursday night. Soon afterwards, he was driven away from the police station.
He claimed his family had paid Tk 17,000 to police so they would not torture Azhar.
Police said Azhar was sent to the upazila health complex around 7:30am yesterday as he complained of chest pains. They said the doctors on duty declared him dead.
However, sources at the health complex, just 500 metres from the police station, said Azhar was not breathing when he was brought in.
Tajul Islam, a doctor, said he reached the health complex around 8:30am and that there was nothing he could do for Azhar as he was already dead.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Mehebul Islam closed officer-in-charge Golam Haidar of Nalitabari Police Station to the district police lines and formed a committee, led by Executive Magistrate Vaskar Devnath, to investigate the incident.