20-year-old dies at Gazipur police lines during constable recruitment test

A 20-year-old died today at the district police lines in Gazipur, where he went to take the constable recruitment test.

His family and relatives said the youth died by electrocution. Police, however, claimed that he died due to "illness" because of the heat.

The deceased is Fahim Chowdhury, son of Ismail Hossain.

An HSC candidate at Kazi Azim Uddin College, Fahim was the eldest among two siblings.

Kabir Hossain Khokon, a cousin of the deceased, said that in the morning, Fahim went to the Gazipur district police line to take the police constable recruitment test.

Quoting witnesses, Kabir said the candidates were lined up in a field. Around noon, due to the heat, Fahim and two others stood in the shade of the wireless tower.

Fahim and another candidate were then electrocuted when their hands touched an air conditioner located next to the tower, said Kabir quoting witnesses.

Gazipur Additional Superintendent of Police Sanwar Hossain, however, said Fahim fell ill while standing in the shade. After he was taken to Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Medical College, the duty doctor declared him dead. His autopsy was done in the afternoon.

Citing a doctor at the hospital, the police official said there were no signs of electrocution on the body of the deceased. However, according to the doctor, his heart was abnormal. He possibly died of a heart attack, he added.

Meanwhile, the tower was inspected by experts from the Palli Bidyut Samiti to ascertain the extent of electricity exposure, but no evidence was found, police said.

Rafiqul Islam, a resident doctor at the hospital, said Fahim was brought dead to the hospital. The exact cause of death can be ascertained after receiving the autopsy report.