BNP Leader Dies in Custody, Protests Erupt

A BNP leader named Shamsuzzaman Dabul (55) has died after being detained by law enforcement agencies in Jibannagar of Chuadanga. The deceased Dabul was the son of late Ataur Master of Basuti Para in the Jibannagar municipal area. He was serving as the general secretary of the Jibannagar Municipal BNP.

According to local residents, at around 10:30 pm on Monday night, Shamsuzzaman was detained by law enforcement personnel from his business establishment, Hafiza Pharmacy, located in front of the Upazila Health Complex. He was later taken to the Upazila BNP office on the pretext of recovering weapons. During this time, he reportedly fell ill and was taken to the Jibannagar Upazila Health Complex. Later, the on-duty physician at the hospital’s emergency department declared him dead.

Following the incident, from midnight onward, leaders and activists of the Jibannagar Upazila BNP, Jubo Dal, and Chhatra Dal began blocking roads and staging protests. At one point, members of the law enforcement agencies became surrounded due to the agitation by party activists.

BNP leaders and activists alleged that Shamsuzzaman Dabul died as a result of torture carried out by law enforcement agencies after his detention. They demanded a fair investigation and justice over the incident.

Meanwhile, after hearing the news of the BNP leader’s death, Chuadanga District BNP President and BNP-nominated candidate for the Chuadanga-2 constituency, Mahmud Hasan Khan Babu, went to the scene. He spoke with the agitated leaders and activists in an attempt to calm the situation. Later, he advised them not to take the law into their own hands and left the area.

Regarding the matter, Municipal BNP President Shahjahan Kabir said, “Dabul was my party colleague. Ahead of the parliamentary election, killing him through law enforcement agencies to please a certain group and fulfill their agenda is disgraceful. We demand appropriate punishment for those involved in this incident.”

The officer-in-charge (OC) of Jibannagar Police Station, Solaiman Sheikh, said that BNP leader Dabul died after being detained during a joint forces operation. He added that he had no further comments on the matter.