Strongly protesting the killing of a Jubo Dal leader in ‘custody through torture,’ BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has demanded that the offenders be brought to justice to prevent the repetition of extrajudicial killings. “We had long been speaking out against extrajudicial killings, illegal arrests, and custodial deaths during Hasina’s rule. Unfortunately, it is deeply saddening that one of our Jubo Dal leaders was killed by the joint forces after being picked up yesterday (Friday),” he said. Fakhrul demands justice for killing of Cumilla Jubo Dal leader Fakhrul made these remarks while speaking at a clothes distribution programme for the destitute at a playground in Uttara’s 13-No sector, organised by the Dhaka North City unit of BNP.  “We want to make it clear that we don’t want to see any more extrajudicial killings in the country and such incidents should not be repeated, and those who committed this heinous crime must be brought to justice,” he said. Towhidul Islam, 42, convener of Panchthuri union Jubo Dal in Cumilla Sadar upazila, was allegedly picked up from his home by the joint forces early Friday and later died at Cumilla Medical College Hospital. Family members have claimed that he was tortured to death, as physicians found torture marks on his body. The BNP leader mentioned that many of their party’s leaders and workers, including former MP Ilias Ali and Uttara Chhatra Dal leader Munna, were victims of enforced disappearance. “We don’t want to witness such incidents. We want to see a peaceful situation in the country, the rule of law, and justice. We don’t want to see any more injustice towards the people,” he said. Fakhrul also called on BNP leaders and workers to refrain from hooliganism, land-grabbing, extortion and other wrongful activities. “Those who indulge in such activities are the enemies of the country and the party.” He urged the party leaders and workers to earn the trust and love of the people, aiming to gain public support and come to power through the next election. Earlier in the day, Mirza Fakhrul had alleged that people in plainclothes had killed Cumilla Jubo Dal leader Towhidul Islam through torture. In a statement, Fakhrul also called for an urgent investigation to determine whether associates of the Awami League, lurking within the government and administration, played a role in the incident. Following the fall of the fascist Awami League government, the BNP leader said the occurrence of extrajudicial killing under the interim government, supported by political parties involved in the democratic movement, is deeply unfortunate. Anti-Discrimination Student movement condemns BNP leader's death in joint forces' custody He said the extrajudicial killing of the Jubo Dal leader has shocked the nation and created renewed fear among the people. “No government force has the right to take the law into its own hands. No matter how powerful the criminal is, they must be brought under the law and given exemplary punishment. But state forces have no right to torture and kill someone unlawfully,” Fakhrul said. He strongly protested and denounced the extrajudicial killing of Towhidul Islam and demanded that the true perpetrators behind the killing be brought to justice. "If the fascist misrule of Awami League is repeated, the country will again plunge into chaos. People will live in constant fear. Extrajudicial killings can never bring peace and order to society," the BNP leader said. Fakhrul also prayed for the salvation of Towhidul Islam’s departed soul and expressed his sympathy to the bereaved family members. On his verified Facebook page on Saturday morning, Fakhrul posted a photo card with the message, "Jubo Dal leader Towhidul Islam Hottar Bichar Chai" (We demand justice for the murder of Jubo Dal leader Towhidul Islam). Meanwhile, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi slammed the Dr Muhammad Yunus-led interim government over the ‘extrajudicial killing’ of Towhidul, saying that it occurred in the same manner as during the Awami League government. He also lamented that the incident occurred amid ongoing conspiracies both at home and abroad against the country and the interim government. Top criminals roam around Dhaka as law enforcement remains inactive: Rizvi "Our fears are growing day by day. A Jubo Dal leader, who was picked up in Cumilla, was returned by law enforcers as dead. Why is this happening during Dr Yunus' tenure?" Rizvi said. He said Dr Yunus, who is admired by various human rights organisations across the globe including Western democratic countries, is also liked by the people of Bangladesh. “If the various evil deeds and atrocities of the Sheikh Hasina government are repeated during his tenure, the people will be shocked.” He made the comments while addressing the introduction meeting of the central convening committee of "Thikana Bangladesh", a newly formed pro-BNP platform, at Nayapaltan Bhashani Auditorium in the capital. Rizvi strongly condemned the killing of the Cumilla Jubo Dal leader, stating that if Towhidul was a criminal, he should have been arrested and brought to justice. “But why would he be arrested, tortured to death, and then returned to his parents during this government's rule?" He said the people of the country forced a terrible and bloodthirsty government to leave as it had indulged in such extrajudicial killings. "Why would extrajudicial killings, like those during Sheikh Hasina's regime, be repeated in this country again?" The BNP leader said if there had been any allegations of crime against the Jubo Dal leader, it was the responsibility of the court to judge that crime. Rizvi said the democratic parties and democracy-loving people of the country had extended their support to the Dr Yunus-led government, even though it was not an elected administration. “But if Hasina's rule is repeated during this government, then the bloody movement, the bloodshed on the streets, and the supreme sacrifices of a five-year-old child like Ahad, and young souls like Mughdo and Abu Sayed, who fearlessly accepted the bullets of Sheikh Hasina's police during the July mass uprising, will be completely in vain,” he bemoaned.

The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement has condemned the recent death of BNP leader Touhidul Islam, who was allegedly killed while in the custody of joint forces. Touhidul, a prominent figure from the Panchthubi Union of Cumilla’s Sadar Upazila, was abducted and killed on January 31, the day before his father's funeral. His family has accused the authorities of torturing him, claiming that his death resulted from severe physical abuse. Disturbingly, numerous marks of torture were reportedly found on his body, it said in a statement on its verified Facebook page on Saturday. Fakhrul demands justice for killing of Cumilla Jubo Dal leader The student body called the death a tragic continuation of human rights violations in post-July Uprising Bangladesh. The movement highlighted the ongoing issue of extrajudicial killings, calling them a stark contradiction to the aspirations for justice and reform that arose during the July Uprising, which was fueled by public outrage over enforced disappearances and deaths in custody under the previous regime. "The extrajudicial killing of Touhidul Islam in the custody of law enforcement agencies goes against the very ideals of the revolution that thousands of martyrs sacrificed their lives for," the statement read. "This incident not only marks a failure of the interim government but is also a clear violation of human rights." The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement has called for a thorough and impartial investigation into Islam's death, urging the authorities to identify and hold accountable those responsible for the joint forces' actions. The movement also called for comprehensive reforms within law enforcement agencies to prevent the resurgence of a culture of torture, abductions, and extrajudicial killings. Anti-discrimination student movement, Nagarik Committee to launch campaign “The state must undergo radical reforms to ensure that law enforcement agencies do not continue the practices of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings,” the statement also said. “We urge the interim government to take more effective action to prevent such incidents and safeguard public safety.”

Members of Rapid Action Battalion yesterday arrested Al Amin, the prime accused in a Digital Security Act case. Acting on a tip-off, a team of RAB-3 conducted a raid in Dhaka's Shahjahanpur area and arrested Md Al Amin (32), RAB-3's Senior ASP (Media) Farzana Haque said in a press release. According to RAB, Al Amin is an "aide" of Naogaon Land Office Assistant Sultana Jasmine, who died in RAB custody on March 24. "Al Amin and his team members used a fake Facebook ID of Joint Secretary Md Enamul Haque, working at the Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner's office, to embezzle millions of taka by luring unemployed youths with government jobs," says the RAB press release. Also read: HC seeks postmortem report and details of RAB members involved in Sultana's death in Naogaon Later, when the official came to know about the matter, he filed the DSA case with Rajpara Police Station of Rajshahi city against Al Amin and "his associate" Sultana Jasmine, who was arrested on March 23, it said. During primary interrogation, Al Amin confessed to his involvement. Since the filing of the case, the arrested accused has been kept under intelligence surveillance and at one stage arrested by RAB, said the release. RAB’s intelligence activities are ongoing to arrest other associates of the gang, based on the information Al Amin gave. Al Amin is an MFS agent. He has been working with a group to embezzle money from job seekers by fraudulently using the names of high-ranking government officials, the RAB press release says.

The High Court on Tuesday wanted to know the details of whether the process of RAB was legally corrected in connection with the death of a union land office employee— Sultana Jasmine— in RAB custody in Naogaon district. The High Court bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Ahmed Sohel raised the question after hearing a writ petition. It also wanted to know whether Sultana was interrogated in a designated place (police station or office) and whether RAB followed the legal procedure before taking her to the hospital and whether RAB has the jurisdiction to detain her.  Read more: ‘Custodial death’ in Lalmonirhat: Rights body demand justice The court also asked the state counsel to submit the answers of the questions raised by the court by Wednesday. On Monday, the High Court summoned the police report and postmortem report on the death of Sultana in RAB custody in Naogaon. The court also sought details of RAB personnel who arrested and interrogated Sultana. Sultana was detained from Muktirmor area of Naogaon city on Wednesday morning and died at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital on Friday morning. However, the elite force denied the allegation of torture. They claimed that the victim was arrested for interrogation as there was an accusation of fraudulence against her.

Expressing deep concern over the death of a man in police custody in Narsingdi, Manabadhiker Songskriti Foundation (Foundation for Human Rights & Culture), a human rights organisation, demanded a fair and neutral probe over the incident.     It is the duty of police to ensure security to people under their custody. MSF, a vehicle founded by rights icon Sultana Kamal after she left the Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), is demanding legal steps against those involved in the killing after the fair probe,” said a press release of MSF issued on Friday. Read: HC grants 6 months bail to accused Sylhet cop in custodial death case Earlier on Wednesday morning, police recovered the hanging body of the accused, Sujan Mia, from the washroom of Raipura police station on Wednesday. The body was found hanging from the ventilator of the washroom, with the shirt he wore.             Sujan Mia, son of Majibur Rahman of Raipura municipal area, allegedly stabbed and killed his wife, Lovely Akhter, on November 5. He was later arrested from the Atroshi area in Faridpur sadar upazila and remanded for two days.   The MSF release said the statements about the death of the accused cannot be credible in any way. It is being said his body was recovered from the washroom. Many people are kept detained there. So, it is quite impossible that nobody will notice such a serious incident. Read: Cop withdrawn over youth’s alleged custodial death in Lalmonirhat Though the district police formed the three-member probe body, the concerned authorities will have to be cautious to ensure the fair investigation. As per the constitution, the state is responsible for protecting the detained accused in custody. Therefore, legal action will have to be taken promptly against the persons responsible after the fair investigation is carried out, the MSF demanded.

The High Court granted six months bail to the suspended sub-inspector of police Md Hasan Uddin, one of the accused in the murder case of Rayhan Ahmed in police custody. HC bench of Justice SM Abdul Mobin and Justice Md Atwar Rahman passed the order on Sunday. Also read: Raihan’s custodial death: Trial of ex-SI Akbar, 5 others from May 10 Barrister Ruhul Kuddus Kazal and Abdul Alim Bhuiyan Jewel appeared for the accused while Deputy Attorney General Sujit Chatterjee represented the state during the hearing. On April 18, the official trial in the case began with the Sylhet Metropolitan Session Judge Court Judge MD Abdur Rahim framing charges against the six accused including five police members. On October 10, 2020, Rayhan Ahmed, 34, a resident of Akharia in Sylhet city, was tortured in police custody at Bandarbazar police outpost and he succumbed to the injuries the next day. Following a case filed by his wife Tahmina Akter Tanni at Kotwali Police station, Sylhet Metropolitan Police found evidence of torture during investigation. On October 12, four policemen, including the in-charge of Bandarbazar Police outpost Sub-Inspector Akbar Hossain were suspended and three others were removed from their posts in connection with the death of a man ‘in police custody’ in Sylhet. Also read:Raihan murder: Court asks fugitive accused to surrender Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) later arrested four accused in this case including constable Harun and on October 9 next year, arrested main accused SI Akbar Hossain from Kanaighat border area. On May 5, 2021, PBI submitted chargesheet in this case accusing Badarbazar police outpost SI Akbar Hossain, 32, Assistant SI Asheq Elahi, 43, Constable Md Harun Ur Rashid, 32, Titu Chandra Das, 38, SI Hasan Uddin, 32, and absconding Abdullah Al Noman, 32, a journalist from Companiganj upazila.

Expressing deep concern over the death of a young man allegedly under police custody in Lalmonirhat, Manbadhiker Songskriti Foundation (MSF), a human rights organisation, demanded legal steps against those responsible for the death after fair investigation. “Unleashing torture on a man in police custody that led to his death is unacceptable. It is the duty of police to ensure security to people under their custody. MSF is demanding legal steps against those involved in the killing after fair probe,” said a press release of MSF issued on Saturday. Earlier, a 25-year-old RMG worker in Lalmonirhat, identified as Robiul Islam Khan, died allegedly in police custody on Thursday night. Also read: Cop withdrawn over youth’s alleged custodial death in Lalmonirhat Agitated locals blocked Lalmonirhat-Rangpur Highway halting traffic on the busy high-speed corridor for few hours in the early hours of Friday, after the family of the deceased accused the police of torture. Robiul and another man were arrested by police on charges of gambling at a fair in Mahendranagar Bangla Bazar area on the occasion of Pahela Baishakh, according to his family members.   Robiul had an altercation with some cops while being dragged into a police van as he insisted that he was innocent, they claimed. Also read: Lalmonirhat: 25-yr-old dies in police custody, locals block highway "He was badly beaten up by the cops for refusing to enter the police van. He had sustained injuries, which eventually led to his death," said a family member of the deceased. As the news of the death spread, the agitated locals blocked Lalmonirhat-Rangpur highway in the early hours of Friday and demanded the punishment of a sub-inspector of Sadar police station. The locals also vandalised a police van when some cops reached the spot to pacify the crowd, officials said. The mob left the place only after the cops assured them of a proper probe into the death.

The High Court on Tuesday wanted to know the steps taken after the death of Tajul Islam allegedly after  police torture at Haragach in Rangpur. The HC bench of Justice Mamnoon Rahman and Khandaker Diliruzzaman asked Deputy Attorney General Amit Das Gupta to inform the court about the steps taken in this regard after consultation with the Rangpur police commissioner. Read: Mob surrounds police station in Rangpur accusing cops of beating a person to death  Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua presented a report on the incident published in a daily newspaper before the court and sought a necessary directive in this regard on Wednesday. DAG Amit Das Gupta said he will inform the court about the incident after consultation with the Rangpur police commissioner. Tajul Islam, 55, a resident of Dalalhat village in Haragach union, was reportedly beaten to death by police at Haragach Natun Bazar around 6 pm on Monday. Tajul was detained with some drugs during a police drive at Haragach Natun Bazar on Monday evening and he fell unconscious as police beat him up mercilessly. At one stage, police pushed him against a wall and he died on the spot. Read: HC turns down writ seeking enactment of law for EC formation Enraged by the incident, locals cordoned off Haragach police station, threw brick chips at police and vandalized some vehicles. Police later fired rubber bullets and lobbed teargas shells to disperse the protesters.

A Dhaka court on Sunday granted bail to six of the seven leftist student leaders and activists arrested for protesting against the death of writer Mushtaq Ahmed.

Police have arrested a leader Khulna Sramik, Krishak, Chhatra-Janata Oikya Parishad ‘for his Facebook post condemning the custodial death of writer Mushtaq Ahmed’.