There have been allegations of custodial torture and deaths in police custody again. A young man named Himanshu Chandra Barman died in Hatibandha police station in Lalmonirhat after he was taken to the station for interrogation following the death of his wife. Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) is deeply concerned over the incident and urges to take action under the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act 2013 against those involved through conducting proper investigation.
According to the media reports, Himanshu Chandra Barman died in the custody of Hatibandha police station of Lalmonirhat district on 7 January 2022. According to his family, the police claimed 1 lakh taka from Himanshu after he was taken to the police station for questioning on the charges of the mysterious death of his wife Savitri Rani (30). The family claimed that he later died in police custody. On the other hand, the police denied the allegations and claimed that he committed suicide.
Article 35 (5) of the Constitution of Bangladesh provides for legal protection in cases of trial and punishment and states that no person shall be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Despite the existence of this constitutional provision and a specific remedial law, in most cases, these allegations are not being properly investigated and tried. This is violating the fundamental rights of the citizens. ASK demands to ensure a proper investigation and a fair trial into the death of Himanshu.

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