After Touhidul Islam's body was brought back from Cumilla Medical College Hospital yesterday morning, his neighbours gathered at his house in Italla village to see him for the last time. His wife, four daughters, and relatives were found to be inconsolable.

"Who will I call baba now? He was such a good man. My good Baba...they tortured him and killed him. We, four sisters, are orphans now. I want justice for my father's murder," Tasfia Akhter, 14, Touhidul's eldest, said with a choked voice.

Jubo Dal leader Touhidul Islam, 42, was allegedly tortured to death after being taken from his Cumilla residence in the early hours of Friday by members of the joint forces.

The ambulance carrying Touhidul's body was later parked in front of the Cumilla Press Club, where hundreds of locals formed a human chain. They demanded justice, claiming that Touhidul was abducted and brutally murdered.

Addressed the media, Touhidul's wife, Yesmin Nahar, said, "In the early hours of Friday, four men arrived at our house and identified themselves as members of the joint forces. As soon as I let them in, they detained Touhidul and took away our phones. They said they were looking for illegal firearms and ransacked the house but found nothing. Then they left with my husband on a pickup truck without explaining why he was being taken. They said they wouldn't hurt him

"In the morning, they came back to our village. They were looking for a local named Kawser. Touhidul was with them at the time. He looked badly hurt."

Yesmin said Touhidul was not involved in any criminal activities.

"We want justice. We want those involved in his killing to be punished."

Lutfur Rahman, a neighbour, who was detained alongside Touhidul, said, "They broke into my house and picked me up too. We were taken to the local army camp. There they tied Touhidul to a tree and tortured him all night. The individuals involved were wearing masks."

Touhidul's niece, Mahbuba Uddin, a teacher at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, said, "We spoke with army officials. An army officer from Cumilla Cantonment, Lieutenant Colonel Mahmudul Hasan, assured us that the army would take action against those responsible."

Touhidul was buried at his family graveyard after his funeral around 2:30pm.

He was the convener of Jubo Dal's Panchthubi union unit.

Touhidul used to work at a shipping company in Chattogram. He returned home on January 26 after his father's death. The family was supposed to hold a qulkhani on Friday.

However, on Friday, his family members found Touhidul dead at Cumilla Medical College Hospital.

Speaking to this newspaper on Friday, Mohinul Islam, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station, said, "The joint forces informed us around 11:00am that an injured man was found in Jhakunipara on the banks of the Gumti River. Police took Touhidul to Cumilla Medical College Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead."

His body bore marks of trauma and injuries, according to an inquest report prepared by the Kotwali Police Station. However, Touhidul's family has yet to file a case.

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