SM Noorul Alam, ex-president of BM char union AL and former chairman of the locality, was arrested by Chakaria police on Wednesday night at his home in the upazila.

Officer-in-charge (OC) of Chakaria Police Station told The Daily Star that the cause of death was heart attack. "As his condition deteriorated, we rushed him to Chakaria Sadar Hospital, where he died," he added.

But Alam's family claimed that he was subjected to 'inhuman torture' in police custody and died as a result a couple of hours into his arrest.

They also complained that no autopsy was performed and the body was buried under police supervision adding that without an autopsy report, they are now unable to file a case against the police.

The OC, however, told that the body was buried on orders of the superintendent of police (SP) of Cox's Bazar.

The main opposition AL, Mohila League, Ainjibi Samannay Parishad and other organisations brought out processions and held rallies at places in the town yesterday to protest Alam's death.