Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam on Monday said police cannot avoid responsibility if the accused die by suicide in their custody.
He made the statement while talking to reporters after placing a wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on Dhanmondi Road No. 32 on behalf of the Central Executive Committee of the Police Service Association on Monday. The DMP Commissioner is the president of the association.
On Sunday, a man named Abu Bakar Siddique Babu, 45, was found dead in police custody hours after Tejgaon Industrial Police arrested him under Digital Security Act on charges of harassing a woman.
The DMP Commissioner said, “The death was initially reported as a suicide. A three-member inquiry committee has been formed over the incident. If anyone is found guilty, action will be taken against them.”
On Sunday, Ali Hossain Khan, officer-in-charge of Tejgaon Industrial Police Station, said a woman filed a case against Babu, floor-in-charge of Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC), who allegedly posted some intimate photos of the woman on social networking website after developing a relationship with her.
“After arresting Babu on Saturday night, we put him in lock-up. Around midnight, we found him hanging, with his shirt around his neck tied to the iron bars. We immediately took him to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital where doctors declared him dead around 4:00 am,” the OC said.
Shariful Islam, Inspector (investigation) of Tejgaon Industrial Area Police Station, said: “We have the CCTV footage.”
But deceased’s wife Aleya Ferdousi suspected that Babu was ‘tortured and killed’ at the police station.
Meanwhile, victim’s wife Alia Ferdousi alleged that a team of Tejgaon Industrial Police Station arrested Babu on Saturday in connection with a case filed against him.He was physically sound while being taken to the police station, she claimed.
She alleged that husband was tortured to death under custody.
Police, however, denied the allegation and claimed that Babu committed suicide.
Ferdousi along with her two sons has been living at Madartek Adarshpara of Sabujbagh. Babu had an affair with a woman named Maya. Following a brawl between them, they got separated.