Former National Citizen Party (NCP) joint member secretary Gazi Salahuddin Tanvir has alleged that he was subjected to severe physical torture while in jail and on remand, including electric shocks, unidentified injections and medical neglect.
He made the allegations through a written statement read out at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity on Friday morning.
Tanvir could not speak because of his illness. NCP central member Yasir Arafat read out the statement on his behalf.
Tanvir alleged that he was tortured between 5 August and 15 September while in jail and on remand.
He also claimed that he was threatened with the disappearance of his family if he disclosed the alleged abuse.
“I have still come before you to reveal the truth. I fear no one but Allah and want to bring the truth before everyone,” he said in the statement.
Tanvir claimed that he was arrested on 5 August in a case filed under the Cyber Security Act over a social media statement.
He identified HS Mafutun Ahmed Khan, president of Bogura Sadar BNP, as the complainant.
Describing his time at Bogura Jail, Tanvir alleged that he was kept in an unhygienic cell without adequate light, ventilation, electricity or a fan. Tanvir alleged that some prison guards abused him verbally, referring to him as a “July militant.”
He said he developed diarrhoea after eating prison food and was subsequently taken to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital for treatment.
Tanvir further alleged that he was given 70 to 80 injections while in custody. He claimed that after being given an injection when his hands and legs were shaking, his right hand and leg became paralysed.
He said a doctor later told him that he had suffered a stroke. He also claimed that he experienced complications during CT scans and an MRI before being transferred to Dhaka for advanced treatment.
Tanvir said in his statement that during the alleged torture, the names of NCP leaders Nasiruddin Patwary, Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan and Salahuddin Ammar were repeatedly mentioned, with him being told that everyone involved in the July movement would face similar treatment
Allegations of preferential treatment
Tanvir also alleged that some Awami League leaders and activists detained at the jail were receiving special privileges.
According to his statement, they had access to mobile phones, better food and regular meetings with family members. He further alleged that some of the leaders were taken outside the jail in vehicles at night and brought back before dawn.
Tanvir claimed that he was later assaulted by several men in plain clothes while being taken back to jail after treatment at PG Hospital.
He alleged that one of the men referred to Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan and his son Sayem Sobhan Anvir during the alleged assault.
The allegations could not be independently verified.
Doctors call for independent probe
Dr Abdul Ahad, member secretary of the National Health Alliance, a doctors’ organisation backed by the NCP, said doctors had found more than 50 injection marks on different parts of Tanvir’s body.
“We did not receive satisfactory information about what injections were administered, why they were given, what the medical indications were, or whether a doctor was present when they were administered,” he said.
He called for an investigation to determine who administered the injections, under whose direction and for what medical reasons.
Abdul Ahad also said doctors had found marks on Tanvir’s body that could be associated with electric shocks.
He said neurological examinations had revealed several abnormalities.
According to him, sensation was absent below the level of the 12th thoracic vertebra, while Tanvir was unable to move his legs and had lost control of urination.
A catheter was inserted after a medical board considered the possibility of a neurogenic bladder, he said.
Dr Ahad said it was too early to determine the extent of Tanvir’s neurological impairment or when he might recover.
He added that electrical injuries could damage the spinal cord, nerve roots and peripheral nerves and potentially cause long-term complications.
The doctor called for an independent investigation into Tanvir’s arrest, his treatment in police and prison custody, the injection marks and the alleged signs of electric shock.
The claims made by Tanvir and the doctors require independent verification and responses from the relevant authorities.
