Joint Commissioner of Detective Branch of Police Monirul Islam on Wednesday denied the allegation of Nagorik Oikya convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna’s family that he was tortured in police custody. “Manna was taken to hospital as he fell sick. His blood pressure was high… he might have fallen sick even if he had been there at home,” Monirul said shrugging off the allegation of torture made by Manna’s family members.
Manna was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) on Tuesday night as he fell sick in police custody. Inspector Mozammel Haque, in-charge of DMCH police camp, said a team of Detective Branch (DB) of police took Manna to the hospital around 10:55pm after he complained of chest pain. Later, Manna’s family alleged that he fell sick due to torture by police.
Earlier on February 24, plainclothes police picked Manna up from a Banani house in the city. Later on February 25, Rapid Acton Battalion (RAB) confirmed Manna’s arrest and handed him over to the Gulshan Police Station.
On the same day, a Dhaka court placed him on a 10-day remand in a sedition case filed in connection with the recently-leaked ‘telephone conversations’ with BNP vice-chairman Sadeque Hossain Khoka.
Two audio clips of the conversations purportedly between Manna and BNP leader Khoka were leaked on February 22. In the conversations, Manna reportedly provoked the BNP leader to unleash a bloody clash on the Dhaka University campus.
