Please - Odhikar

the names of Hanif and Bidyut, and handed them over to the Shabujbagh Police Station. But
RAB calims that with a gang of criminals Suman was at the Banosree area during the incident.
There was a gun battle between the RAB and the criminals. During the fight Suman was killed
in the crossfire. On the other hand, people are raising questions about RAB activities as they are
evading the real fact of arresting Suman from his workplace. This kind of killings by law
enforcement agencies raised question about their accountability.
Youth dead in police custody at Brahmanbaria
Odhikar sent a fact-finding team to collect detail information about the incident of the death of a
young man in the custody of the Brahmanbaria Police. The incident was reported in different
national dailies on June 04, 2005. In order to find facts Odhikar talked to the relatives of the
deceased, Office-in-Charge of the Brahmanbaria Sadar Police Station, Officers of the Detective
Branch of the police and the local people.
While talking to Odhikar Ebrahim Mia, a cousin of the victim, Ershad, told Odhikar that a tindealer
named Suman Mia, a small trader at Bayish Mouja Bazar under Nabinagar Police Station
was assassinated on March 21, 2005. After the incident a murder case was filed with the
Ashuganj Police Station against the victim's cousin, Ershad and some other persons. Ershad had
been absconding after that incident. When he returned to the village on June, 01, his rivals group
caught hold of him, beat him and then handed him over to the police. On June 3 they came to
know that Ershad had hanged himself inside the custody of the Brahmanbaria Police Station,
Ebrahim added. However, he expressed his suspicion about the incident. How could a person
hang himself with a rod, which was only four feet off the ground? asked he. Ershad's father,
Siddique Mia was another accused person in Suman's murder case, said Ebrahim.
Johirul Islam, a local, told Odhikar that Ershad was a burglar and a killer. He was an accused in
Suman's murder case. He also added that he found no sign of torture on Ershad's dead body but a
black mark on the neck. Suman's family was alleged to be a burglar's family and all of his family
members had been absconding since the incident.
Kawser, a Sub Inspector of the Detective Brach of police told Odhikar that Suman Mia, a tindealer
at Bayish Mouja Bazar under the Nabinagar police station was assassinated on March 21
and was left just outside Ashuganj police station. A murder case (number 4 dated 22.03.05) was
filed with the Ashuganj police station the next day. The case was filed under Section 302/34 of
the Penal Code. Ershad was accused in that case. The murder case of the Ashuganj Police
Station was transferred to the District Detective Branch of police a few days ago. When Ershad
came to the village of Amtali under Nabi Nagar Police Station on June 01, local people caught
him and beat him. DB Police was informed about him and they took Ershad into their custody at
9 pm that day. Ershad was sent to Brahman Baria Sadar Thana after receiving medical treatment
from the Sadar hospital. The next day (June 2) Ershad was taken to remamd for three days. As
there was no custody in the DP Police Office, Niranjan, an Assistant Sub Inspector of DB police
left him in the Sadar Thana police custody at 9 pm after the interrogation. On the morning of
June 3 they received news from the police station that Ershad had hanged himself with his
'Lungi'. He found black marks on his neck and his tongue was bitten between his teeth. Ershad
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Report 2005