Why family of BCL man died in DB custody should not get Tk50 crore in compensation: HC

The High Court has issued a rule asking why the family of banned Bangladesh Chhatra League activist Mirza Ishtiaq Ahmed, alias Pranto, who died while in the custody of the Detective Branch (DB) of Faridpur Police, should not be awarded Tk 50 crore in compensation.

An High Court bench comprising Justice Khizir Ahmed Chowdhury and Justice Md Ziaul Haque passed the order after a preliminary hearing on a writ petition.

The court directed the Home Secretary, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Law Secretary, and the other respondents to submit their replies to the rule within four weeks.

The writ petition was filed by Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), seeking a judicial inquiry into the death and an order directing the authorities to compensate the victim's family.

Advocate Md Shahinuzzaman appeared for the petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General Akhtar Hossain Md Abdul Wahab represented the state.

Ishtiaq, 27, died at Faridpur Medical College Hospital at around 7:30am on 21 June. A resident of West Gondardiya in Madhukhali Municipality, he was a student at Faridpur Law College and also worked as a seasonal labourer at Faridpur Sugar Mill.

However, conflicting accounts have emerged over when he was taken into DB custody.

According to his family, DB personnel detained him from in front of his house on the Dhaka–Khulna Highway on the afternoon of 20 June. In contrast, the first information report (FIR) filed by police states that officers reached the scene at around 2:00am on 21 June, creating uncertainty over how long he had remained in custody before his death.

On the morning of 21 June, Sub-Inspector (SI) Ahaduzzaman, who participated in the operation, filed a case against Ishtiaq under the Narcotics Control Act, alleging that 100 grams of cannabis had been recovered from his possession.
According to the FIR, Ishtiaq attempted to flee after noticing the police. It claims that after he was apprehended and questioned in the presence of two witnesses, he admitted possessing cannabis and voluntarily produced a polythene packet containing the substance from the right pocket of his trousers.
Immediately after the incident, police said Ishtiaq had fallen ill while in custody and was first taken to Faridpur General Hospital before being transferred to Faridpur Medical College Hospital.

Police initially suggested that he may have died from a stroke and maintained that he had not been subjected to any physical assault or torture while in custody. His body was later sent for a post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.

The family, however, has disputed the police account.

Following the incident, Ishtiaq's mother, Khadija Akhtar, alleged that DB officers had agreed to release her son in exchange for money. She claimed she travelled to Faridpur with Tk 100,000, but instead of finding her son alive, she was handed his body. She further alleged that her son had been beaten to death while in custody.

On 23 June, Syed Md Alamgir Hossain, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the Faridpur Sadar Zone of the Detective Branch, was withdrawn from his post following the incident.
Meanwhile, recommendations have also been made to initiate departmental proceedings against 11 officials, including the former OC.