Family members of a prisoner who died in a hospital in the capital yesterday afternoon claimed that he died of injuries inflicted on him by police beating.
The family of 32-year-old Abdul Alim Rana, who was taken to hospital from jail, also claimed that he was arrested on false charges.
But police said Rana was a drugs trader and was caught red-handed by locals when he and his associates were attempting a robbery in the city.
Rana was the son of Ismail Akon and family members said he worked in the construction industry.
Ismail told the Dhaka Tribune Rana went to the Geneva camp area in Mohammadpur after a friend named Mozammel called him in the evening on February 19, saying he had run into a trouble.
“As my son reached there, a gang involved in drugs trade began beating him indiscriminately. Then they got him arrested by local police, who they have a good relation with. A false case was filed against him and he was beaten during remand before being sent to prison,” he claimed.
Officer-in-Charge of Mohammadpur police station Jamal Uddin Mir told the Dhaka Tribune Rana had been named in two cases filed with the police station.
“He was handed over to police by a mob who beat him for attempting to rob a house. Locals also captured some of his associates but they managed to flee.
“Rana sustained injuries in the head after the beating. As he was ill, police sent him to jail even though his remand did not end. We also recovered the firearms he tried to use for shooting locals,” OC Jamal said.
The policeman denied the allegation of Rana's father, saying that Rana was no beaten during remand as he was already ill.
Jahangir Kabir, superintendent of Dhaka Central Jail, said Rana was already sick when he was put behind bars.
“He suffered a stroke and was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where he died.”