Awami League’s Prolay Chaki has died in prison

Praloy Chakie, 66, the former cultural secretary of the Pabna District Awami League and a renowned singer and performer of the 1980s and 1990s, has passed away while in custody at Pabna Central Jail.

Chakie died on Sunday, 11 January, at approximately 9:15 pm while undergoing treatment at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RAMEC). His death has sparked allegations from his family of gross negligence and lack of medical care by prison authorities.

According to sources from Pabna District Jail and local officials, Chakie was arrested on the morning of 16 December last year from his residence in Pathartala, Pabna town, by the district’s Detective Branch (DB) police. He was subsequently sent to jail under a case alleging attacks on participants of the anti-discrimination student movement.

Chakie’s son has publicly criticised the jail authorities, claiming that his father had pre-existing heart conditions and suffered a stroke, yet was not admitted to an intensive care unit. Instead, he was kept in a general prisoner’s cell where he was forced to perform various physical tasks despite medical restrictions, which allegedly worsened his condition. “My father’s death was primarily due to negligence and the absence of proper medical care. We demand justice for his death without treatment,” his son stated.

Family members further assert that Chakie was not named in the original case regarding the student movement attack and had been residing at home. Nearly a year after the alleged incident, he was forcibly taken from his home and presented as a case defendant.

Pabna District Jail Superintendent Md. Omar Faruk confirmed Chakie’s death on Sunday evening. He stated that the singer suffered from diabetes and multiple age-related ailments. On 9 January, Chakie reportedly suffered a sudden cardiac event at the jail. After initial treatment at Pabna General Hospital, he was transferred to RAMEC for advanced care, where he later succumbed to his illness. Faruk denied the family’s allegations of negligence.

Chakie was widely celebrated for his musical contributions and performances alongside his brother Moloy Chakie on national television programmes such as Jodi Kichu Mone Na Koren and Ityadi, among others. His passing has cast a shadow of grief over the cultural community in Pabna. He is survived by his wife, a son, a daughter, and numerous admirers.

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