A BNP leader died allegedly during an operation of the joint forces in Chuadanga’s Jibannagar municipality on Monday night, sparking protests by the party activists.
The deceased, Shamsuzzaman Dablu, 55, was general secretary of the Jibannagar municipal unit of BNP.
According to locals and BNP activists, members of the 36 AD Regiment (TTC Army Camp) conducted a special raid around 10:30pm in the area. During the operation, Shamsuzzaman was reportedly picked up from his pharmacy near the Jibannagar Upazila Health Complex.
The party activists alleged he was taken to the local BNP office for questioning and beaten. Shortly afterward, Dabul fell ill. He was taken to the Jibannagar Upazila Health Complex by the army team, where doctors declared him dead.
When the news of his death spread, relatives and BNP supporters rushed to the health complex. Witnesses said army personnel closed the main gate and remained inside with the body. Later, they staged a demonstration in front of the hospital protesting Shamsuzzaman’s death.
Meanwhile, allegations surfaced on social media accusing members of the joint forces including army personnel of torturing detainees during the joint operations.
Zulkarnain Saer Khan, a senior journalist, claimed that Shamsuzzaman’s death is not an isolated incident.
He said, “We are quite familiar with such behaviour by members of the army. But the regrettable fact is that, even after seeing their own top officials go to jail in the past for involvement in such heinous acts, for some reason no significant change is noticeable among them.”
In his Facebook page on Tuesday, he alleged that several army men, claiming to be conducting an arms recovery operation, took Shamsuzzaman to the Jibannagar Upazila BNP office, where he was brutally tortured during interrogation.
He also recounted several incidents of deaths in the custody of the joint forces.
