Babul Sardar

A man died in the custody of the Detective Branch of police in Satkhira, hours after DB arrested him in his home in Debhata upazila on Saturday.

Family members alleged that he was tortured to death. Police, on the other hand, said he died by suicide. They claimed that he hanged himself by the DB lockup door's iron rod with a piece of rope he wore around his waist.

Snoara, daughter-in-law of deceased Babul Sardar, 56, son of valiant freedom fighter late Jurun Sardar, dismissed the police claim and said Babul never wore any such rope.

Talking to journalists, she said police beat her father-in-law indiscriminately following his arrest. He died because of being tortured.

Police said they arrested Babul in his home in Satkhira's Basantapur village around 11:00am on Saturday along with 50 bottles of Phensedyl. After a case was filed with Debhata Police Station in this connection, Babul was taken to the DB office in the district.

Satkhira DB Inspector Yeasin Alam Chowdhury said the arrestee was kept at the DB lockup at the police lines for interrogation.

Babul died by suicide using the rope around his waist sometime during the night, the inspector claimed.

Talking to reporters, Babul's daughter Sultana Munni said his father was innocent. She said an unidentified woman came to their home about an hour before Babul's arrest and met him in his room.

Munni claimed that the Phensedyl bottles were planted in their house by that woman.

Later, four to five people, identifying themselves as DB policemen, recovered the bottles, beat Babul and arrested him, she claimed.

Babul's wife Sahanara Khatun said her husband did not die by suicide. He died due to police torture. She demanded justice.

DB Inspector Yeasin said the body was sent to Satkhira Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy after an inquest report was prepared in presence of a magistrate and a physician.

Mohammad Mostafizur Rahman, superintendent of police in Satkhira, said Assistant Sub-inspector Sheikh Sohel and constable Shariful Islam, who were on duty at the DB office that night, were suspended.

"We will investigate the incident," he said.

Police claimed that Babul was accused in four more cases filed under the Narcotics Control Act and the cases were under trial.

Debhata Sadar Union Parishad chairman Abu Bakar Gazi, however, said he never heard about any such allegation against Babul and that he knew that Babul was a good man.