Locals of west Dumuria under Gournadi upazila in Barisal yesterday held a rally with the body of a business man, protesting his alleged death in police custody.
Following the protest, the body was buried after a Namaz-e-Janaza attended by a huge number of relatives and local people.
Family members said the body bore marks of torture by police.
They also held a procession on Sunday noon and vowed to lodge a case in the court, demanding capital punishment of the culprits.
The deceased, Shahin Molla, 22, son of Dubai expatriate Mostafa Molla of west Dumuria and owner of a photo-studio at Salta Bazar, was detained by police along with his two friends – Mukit Akon and Shah Alam – on June 8.
The three were brought to Dashar police station and SI Nazmul demanded Tk2 lakh as ransom money when the family members of the detainees contacted the police.
Mukit and Shah Alam were released as their families paid Tk51,000, while police sent Shahin to jail after putting 5 yaba tablets in his pockets on June 9, as they could not pay the money in time, family members of the deceased alleged.
The victim’s mother claimed to have visited Shahin in police custody and quoted him as saying: “Police tortured me mercilessly for not giving the money when I was in custody of Dashar police station.”
Shahin was admitted at Madaripur Jail Hospital and was later shifted to Madaripur Sadar Hospital on Saturday night after his condition deteriorated.
Shahin died in hospital around 9:30pm Saturday night.
Mostafa Molla, the victim’s father, came from Saudi Arabia yesterday, after hearing about the death of his son. There were injury marks on the body of the victim, Dr Siddikur Rahman, resident medical officer of Madaripur General Hospital, told family members while handing over the body.
Mukit Akon and Shah Alam also claimed that Shahin was tortured in police custody.
Emddul Huq, Dashar police station officer-in-charge, denied taking any bribes, and said Mukit and Shah Alam were released following a request by local elite Syed Babu. SI Nazmul Hasan also denied torturing Shahin and claimed that Shahin was a drug addict and a drug peddler.