A murder suspect died while in the custody of Detective Branch (DB) police in Sirajganj’s Sadar upazila on Friday, his family alleged.
The deceased, Shahadat Hossain, 45, a resident of Kalia Haripur village, was detained for questioning in connection with a murder case. DB police picked up Shahadat from his home around 3am on Thursday, his family alleged.
The victim’s family alleged he died due to torture after being taken into police custody, while police claimed he had respiratory problems.
They said Shahadat fell ill during interrogation and was taken to Sirajganj General Hospital around 3:40pm on Friday. He died there while undergoing treatment.
Another suspect, Saidul Hossain, was detained from Chandpur village in connection with the same case. Saidul was taken to the DB office where Shahadat was being interrogated, said Saidul’s brother Shah Alam.
Shah Alam also said police informed the family only that Saidul and Shahadat were detained in the same case but did not disclose the nature of the case or who had filed it.
Families of both suspects stayed at the DB office the entire day, and in the evening, they were informed that Shahadat had died, Shah Alam added.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Administration and Finance) Mahbubur Rahman said Shahadat was detained for questioning over the recovery of an autorickshaw allegedly used in a murder.
At one stage, Shahadat became ill during interrogation and was taken to the hospital, where he died, the police official said. He also claimed that the man had been suffering from respiratory problems.
Mimi Khanom, a senior nurse at Sirajganj General Hospital, said four to five men identifying themselves as police brought Shahadat to the hospital. There were clear marks of abuse on his body, she said. When he died, police took his medical file, claiming they needed to discuss it with the doctor.
The body has been kept at Sirajganj General Hospital.
