'Sagar tortured to death'

Wife of Shah Alam Sagar, the journalist who was found dead behind Uttara (west) Police Station, has said he was tortured to death by police.

Speaking to bdnews24.com on Monday, Shoma Akhter said Sagar was brought down to the station, tortured and killed and then a drama of 'falling off the roof' had been staged.

Police have claimed Shah Alam Sagar, 25, died after 'falling down from the roof' of the police station building on Sunday.

No explanations, however, have been offered as to how he had got there and why he would have fallen from the roof.

Sagar, who worked for the weekly 'Saptahik Aparadh Daman' as a reporter, was called at the Uttara (west) Police Station to settle a case with Uttara Trust College Principal Bashir Uddin, said a police official asking not to be named.

The newspaper had recently run a story on the principal. Following the news report, both filed written complaints against each other, according to the police official.

“The college owed Nazrul Islam, a carpenter, some money but did not pay for a long time. My husband wanted the poor man to get the money back. That's why he ran the report,” Shoma said.

She said Sagar had gone to the police station answering a request of police for a mutual settlement of the allegations between him and Bashir.

Shoma told bdnews24.com there were marks of torture on her husband’s body.

“They did inhuman torture on him. His hands still bear marks of handcuffs,” she said.

On Monday morning, Shoma went to the police station and spoke to OC Rafiqul Islam, who she said told her to collect some money after the funeral of her husband.

“I don't want money. I want justice for my husband's murder,” she said.

The news of Sagar's death came in around 8pm Sunday. His remains are at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital.

Some of the locals said they suspected that he was pushed off from the roof. No one, however, agreed to speak on record.

Assistant Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (North) Saifullah Mohammed told bdnews24.com that the man died after 'falling from the roof'.

"Neither the police nor the principal of (Uttara) Trust College pushed him off from the roof," he had said when asked how it had happened.

Shoma said Sagar's camera and two mobile phones were at the station.

Asked about Shoma's allegations, OC Rafiqul said, “Did his family learn through divination that police tortured him? How can you ask such embarrassing questions?”

He admitted that the station was in possession of the phones and the camera. The camera fell with Sagar and got destroyed, he claimed.

A Sub-Inspector at the station, Morshed Ali Mridha, said police had filed a case over the death of Sagar and arrested four people in the case.

They are Principal Bashir Uddin, Jahidul Islam and Anisur Rahman, both teachers at the college and carpenter Nazrul Islam.