Woman’s death in custody: Rights orgs demand fair probe

Different rights organisations today demanded a fair and neutral investigation into the death of Afroza Begum in police custody in Jashore on Sunday.

Expressing anger and concern, the organisations demanded legal action against those responsible for her death.

Afroza, 40, died in police custody in Jashore's Abhaynagar upazila on Sunday morning, hours after being held at her house.

Her family alleged that police tortured her, tying her hair to a ceiling fan, and framed her in a drugs case.

Family members also said she was tortured to death after they failed to pay Tk 2 lakh bribe for her release.

Abhaynagar police denied all the allegations and said Afroza was arrested along with 30 yaba pills on Saturday midnight.

She was kept in a female lock-up and died on the way to a hospital after falling ill the next morning, they said.

Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) in a statement said the family's allegations are quite serious.

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Woman dies in police custody in Jashore, family alleges torture

Torture of a person in custody is illegal as well as a demonstration of unprofessional behaviour by law enforcers, it added.

The allegation of demanding money from the family after the arrest has become a regular phenomenon against police, the rights body said and demanded a judicial inquiry into the death.

Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation said the statement made by the police regarding Afroza's death is nothing but a procedural statement, which is not acceptable and credible under any circumstances.

Torturing her after tying her hair to a fan, and showing her arrested with 30 pieces of yaba after failing to find anything during search and interrogation, demanding a bribe of Tk 2 lakh for her release is unethical, it added.

MSF demanded an impartial investigation to ensure justice and establish accountability for such incidents, it added.

Meanwhile, Jashore district police formed a three-member committee to probe the death, said Jahidul Islam, additional superintendent of Abhaynagar Circle Police.