The New Nation - Internet Edition

bdnews24.com, Rangpur

Thousands of people besieged Pirgachha police station and upazila health complex premises after a 50-year old man died from 'torture' in police custody.

The brother of Nuruzzaman of Chandipur village and Union Parishad member Abul Kalam said sub-inspector Nazrul Islam had arrested Nuruzzaman on Tuesday night near the railway station and took him to the police station.

Later, he was taken to the health complex and was certified as dead by the on-duty doctor.

Nuruzzaman died because of torture in the custody, they claimed.

A case had been filed against Nuruzzaman, SI Nazrul said and added that he had been arrested according to a court order.

"Several thousand agitating people besieged the police station after the incident and demanded the arrest and punishment to Nazrul Islam," Pirgachha police chief Aslam Iqbal said.

"Later, they blocked the hospital when assistant police superintendent Towhidul Islam, chief magistrate Nazrul Islam, Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shahidul Islam and other government officers arrived to see the body of Nuruzzaman."

The situation was calmed down around 3am after talks with the local elite. The body was brought to the morgue at Rangpur Medical College Hospital for autopsy.

Iqbal dismissed the allegation of torture and said Nuruzzaman had died of a heart attack.

A case for unnatural death was filed and further steps will be decided after autopsy report is available, he added.