Three prisoners serving sentences or awaiting trial at the Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj have died after falling severely ill and being rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. The fatalities occurred at different times on Sunday morning, 6 September. The deceased comprise two undertrial prisoners and one convicted inmate, with the deaths of the two undertrial prisoners occurring merely one hour and forty minutes apart.
Hospital officials and prison warders identified the deceased as 58-year-old Abul Bashar, 62-year-old Abdul Qayyum, and 52-year-old Md Shahadat Hossain Liton.
The first fatality was recorded early in the morning when prison guard Md Shahid led an escort team delivering Abul Bashar to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital in a critical condition. Attending doctors conducted preliminary examinations before pronouncing him dead at 7:25 am. Bashar, son of Sekandar Ali, hailed from Kutiya Laxmipur village under Kachua Upazila in Chandpur district. He was being held in custody in connection with an ongoing case filed under the Prevention of Oppression Against Women and Children Act at Kachua Police Station.
Just 100 minutes later, a second undertrial inmate passed away at the same facility. Guard Hemayet Hossain and fellow warders brought Abdul Qayyum to the emergency unit on instructions from correctional authorities. Medical staff examined Qayyum and formally declared him deceased at 9:05 am. Son of the late Dudu Mia, Qayyum belonged to Golai Podabazar village in the Chauddagram Upazila of Cumilla district and was named as an accused across eight separate criminal cases.
In addition to the two emergency admissions, convicted prisoner Md Shahadat Hossain Liton died whilst undergoing inpatient treatment at the hospital. Liton had been admitted to Ward 502 of the Department of Medicine on 28 August following a deterioration in his health. Duty doctors declared him dead at 8:45 am on Sunday. Hailing from Pabla village under Daulatpur Police Station in Khulna, Liton was the son of the late Abdul Kader. He was serving time after being convicted in a murder case filed under Sections 302, 34, and 201 of the Penal Code at Uttara Police Station, as well as a case before the Speeding of Trials Tribunal.
Inspector Md Habibur Rahman, officer-in-charge of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital Police Outpost, confirmed the three deaths. He stated that the bodies of all three prisoners have been moved to the hospital mortuary to undergo mandatory post-mortem examinations and inquest formalities required for deaths occurring in judicial custody.
