Dhaka, February 16: The results of Bangladesh’s 13th parliamentary elections have been announced, yet violence continues to plague the nation. The number of deaths of Awami League members in custody is on the rise. The latest incident involves the death of an Awami League leader in the Gaibandha district jail.
The leader, 60-year-old Shamikul Islam, was the president of the Awami League in the Palashbari sub-district. He fell seriously ill and passed away while being transported to Rangpur Medical College Hospital on Sunday.
Confirming the incident, the head of Gaibandha District Jail, Mohammad Atiqur Rahman, stated that the Awami League leader was initially taken to Sadar Hospital and later referred to Rangpur for better treatment, but he died en route.
According to sources from Gaibandha Jail, the Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star reported that multiple cases were filed against Shamikul after the Awami League government was ousted on August 5, 2024. He was arrested on December 8 of the same year in a case in Dhaka and remained in jail for an extended period.
Despite being granted bail later, he was reportedly re-arrested in another case and sent back to jail last year. This incident contributes to the increasing number of deaths of Awami League leaders and supporters in custody, raising allegations of political repression and targeted actions during Muhammad Yunus’s interim government.
Earlier, local media reported that on February 7, former minister and senior Awami League leader Ramesh Chandra Sen died in police custody after falling ill in Dinajpur district jail. He had previously served as the Minister of Water Resources and was an MP for the Thakurgaon-1 (Sadar sub-district) seat. Doctors declared him dead in the emergency department of Dinajpur Medical College Hospital.
The Awami League stated that Sen’s death in custody revealed a disturbing truth: Bangladeshi authorities are using prisons as silent weapons to eliminate political opponents.
The party remarked, “Jail officials labeled it a ‘natural death,’ but the reality is quite different. An 83-year-old former minister, held in serious cases, was not provided with any advanced medical care. This is not just a failure of the government; it is a clear case of deliberate negligence.”
Expressing deep concern, the Awami League stated, “Ramesh Chandra Sen’s death is not an isolated incident. It sends a message. There is no justice inside prisons now; only death awaits. This drama of evading responsibility will not continue. This is not merely a death; it is a crime by the government.”
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