Palashbari Awami League President Lipon Dies in Custody After Re-Arrest at Jail Gate
Palashbari Upazila Awami League President and former vice principal Shamikul Islam Sarkar Lipon died after falling critically ill inside Gaibandha District Jail late Sunday night, authorities confirmed. He had been in custody for a prolonged period in connection with a case filed with Gaibandha Sadar Police Station.
According to jail sources, Lipon became seriously ill around 1:00am. He was first taken to Gaibandha Sadar Hospital. As his condition deteriorated, doctors referred him to Rangpur Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment, where the on-duty physician declared him dead.
Jail Superintendent Atikur Rahman confirmed the death, saying Lipon had been a detainee in the GR 176/25 case for a considerable time and had previously received treatment while in custody.
Family members alleged that Lipon had been detained in what they described as a “false case” for nearly one and a half years. He was arrested by Detective Branch from Dhaka’s Mogbazar area on December 8, 2024, and later shown arrested in a case filed with Palashbari Police Station before being sent to jail.
Significantly, after securing bail and being released, he was re-arrested at the jail gate on February 5 and again shown arrested in the Gaibandha Sadar Police Station case (GR 176/25), under which he remained in district jail until his death. The sequence of bail, re-arrest, and subsequent death has drawn attention locally.
Lipon previously served as President of Palashbari Upazila Jubo League in 1996, later as Organizing Secretary of the Upazila Awami League, General Secretary in 2016, and had been serving as President since 2018. He also worked as a lecturer and later vice principal at Palashbari Women’s Degree College.
His death has prompted expressions of deep shock and condolences from various political, social, and professional organizations in Palashbari.
Lipon was the third son of the late Jobbar Sarkar of Bairi Harinmari village in Palashbari municipality.
