A youth has reportedly died in police custody following his arrest over a theft allegation in Nabinagar upazila of Brahmanbaria.
The incident has triggered widespread public outrage, leading to a protest and siege of the local police camp.
According to local sources, Abdullah, 23, son of Abul Mia of Bahechar village in Tejkhali union of Bancharampur upazila, was picked up by police from Barail village on 27 September in connection with a theft case.
He was taken to the Salimganj police camp, where locals allege, he was severely beaten during interrogation.
Abdullah succumbed to his injuries on Sunday night at Brahmanbaria General Hospital, where he was admitted hours after his condition deteriorated in custody. The delay in medical attention has further fueled suspicions of foul play and attempts to cover up the incident.
On Monday morning, angry locals surrounded the Salimganj camp in protest. As tensions escalated, authorities shut down the police camp and deployed army personnel to maintain law and order.
Police sources claim Abdullah was named by another detainee, Masud Rana, during a preliminary interrogation in a theft case involving Tk 5 lakh from a house of a man named Tobir Mia in Barail village.
Locals, however, challenge this narrative, alleging that all three suspects — Abdullah, Masud, and Babu Mia were arrested simultaneously, but only two were officially processed.
Witnesses report that before police intervened local residents had already assaulted Abdullah. He was taken to the police camp in an injured state on Saturday but was not hospitalised until Sunday afternoon. By the time he arrived at the hospital, he was reportedly unresponsive. Doctors declared him dead upon arrival.
Speaking to reporters, Abdullah’s grieving mother, Josna Begum, said,
“If my son was guilty, he should have faced legal punishment. Why did he have to die like this? I want justice for my son’s death in police custody.”
Following the incident, Abdullah’s younger brother, Sakil Mia, filed a murder case with Nabinagar Police Station on Monday. The case names four individuals, including Salimganj camp in-charge Md Mohiuddin and three others Tobir Mia, Al Amin, and Aynal Haque along with 20 to 25 unnamed individuals.
The case statement alleges that the accused collectively inflicted physical and psychological torture on Abdullah and intentionally caused his death.
In response, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Nabinagar Police Station, Shahinur Islam, said that Abdullah was handed over to police by locals after being beaten and fell critically ill on Sunday. His body has been sent for autopsy at the district hospital morgue.
Brahmanbaria Superintendent of Police Md Ehteshamul Haque confirmed a murder case has been filed against five people, including a police officer. A three-member committee has been formed to investigate the incident, and efforts to arrest the named suspects are underway.
