AL leaders' series deaths in Bogura prison

Another Awami League leader has died while in custody at Bogura prison, marking the fifth death of an Awami League leader behind bars. All of them were accused in various cases related to the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and reportedly died of heart attacks, according to prison authorities.

However, allegations have surfaced that the authorities are neglecting the medical treatment of imprisoned Awami League leaders. It is claimed that they are left untreated for long periods before being taken to the hospital. Local Awami League members are deeply concerned about the repeated deaths of their party leaders in prison, leading to an atmosphere of fear.

On Tuesday (March 11), Emdadul Haque, an Awami League leader from Gabtali Upazila’s Dakshinpara Union, passed away while in custody. He suddenly fell ill in prison and was taken to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College (Shajimek) Hospital, where he was declared dead at 7:10 AM, according to Syed Shah Sharif, the prison superintendent. Sharif stated that preliminary assessments suggest Emdadul suffered a heart attack. He had been in custody since February 26.

Before Emdadul Haque’s death, four other Awami League leaders died in custody.

They were Abdul Matin Mithu, former chairman of Durgahata Union Parishad and proposed Organizing Secretary of Gabtali Upazila Awami League (Died: December 9, 2024), Shahadat Alam Jhunu – Former Principal of Bogura Police Lines School and College and Organizing Secretary of the District Awami League (Died: November 26, 2024),

Abdul Latif – Treasurer of Shibganj Upazila Awami League (Died: November 25, 2024) and Shahidul Islam – General Secretary of Bogura City’s Ward No. 15 Awami League (Died: November 11, 2024).

Prison authorities claimed that all of them died of heart attacks. However, multiple Awami League members have expressed deep suspicion, stating that they do not know what is happening inside the prison—only that they keep receiving the bodies of their fellow leaders.

Several recently released activists from the Jubo League and Swechchhasebak League, who had been in Bogura prison, claimed that ailing Awami League leaders were not provided immediate medical attention. They alleged that prison authorities delayed transferring them to hospitals, often for several hours.

One Jubo League activist, who was in prison when Shahadat Alam Jhunu died on November 26, described the incident and said "That morning, Jhunu Bhai collapsed while taking a bath. He fell to the ground, bleeding from the mouth. Despite this, he was left unattended for hours, not even taken to the prison hospital. Eventually, he was transferred to an external hospital, but by then, it was too late."

However, prison superintendent Syed Shah Sharif refuted these allegations.

He claimed that if any inmate falls ill, they are first taken to the prison hospital, where doctors decide if they need to be transferred elsewhere. He stated that it takes no more than 10 to 15 minutes to arrange for an external hospital transfer and insisted that there was no negligence in medical treatment.