Former Badda Chhatra League president dies in prison custody

Fellow activists believe he was denied medical treatment despite serious injuries

Former Badda Chhatra League president Wasikur Rahman Babu has died while in prison custody.

Assistant Inspector General of Prisons Jannatul Farhad said Wasikur died on Sunday.

The prison official said after his arrest in September, Wasikur was transferred to Kashimpur Central Jail-2 on Sept 27.

After a court granted police’s remand plea, he was taken into prison custody for questioning on Sunday afternoon.

“Around 4:15pm, while he was being handed over to police at the jail gate, Wasikur suddenly lost consciousness,” Jannatul said.

“He was immediately taken to Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.”

Wasikur was also serving as the youth and sports secretary of the Awami League’s Badda unit at the time of his death.

A former Chhatra League leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Wasikur was detained by the public on Sept 24 while participating in a “flash procession” in the capital’s Panthapath.

He said Wasikur was then beaten by a mob before being handed over to Kalabagan Police.

Claiming that Wasikur was seriously injured at the time, the former leader added: “It is likely that after his arrest, he did not receive any medical treatment despite his injuries.”