At least 60 people, including policemen, were injured as clashes broke out on the premises of a police station in Rangpur following the death of a man reportedly tortured to death by police in Haragachh union on Monday.
Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas shells at the protesters and finally managed to bring the situation under control at around 3am on Tuesday, before sending the deceased’s body to the local state-owned hospital for autopsy.
According to witnesses and locals, Haragachh police arrested suspected drug dealer Tajul Islam from Notun Bazar area on Monday evening.
A handcuffed Tajul was allegedly tortured to death on the spot, prompting the locals to launch protests.
Protesters are charged by police during clashes in Rangpur's Haragachh Union on Monday, October 11, 2021 Dhaka TribuneDismissing the claims, Deputy Police Commissioner Maruf Hossain of the Rangpur Metropolitan Police (RMP) told the media early on Tuesday that the “drug addict” Tajul died of a “heart attack”.
Nevertheless, police will decide the next course of action after receiving the postmortem report, he added.
Two cases have been started over the incidents — one for obstructing police duty and vandalizing the police station and the other over Tajul’s unnatural death, said the senior police officer.
Haragach police station was attacked by protesters after the death of a young man in Rangpur's Haragachh Union on Monday, October 11, 2021Focus BanglaThe protesters demanded that the autopsy be performed in the presence of a magistrate.
Meanwhile, locals alleged that police are trying to frame innocent people in their cases.
Several hundred people surrounded Haragach police station and demanded the arrest of policemen responsible for the death of Tajul on Monday night.
At the time, police fired tear gas shells, rubber bullets and blanks at the protesting public, resulting in several injuries.
According to witnesses, police had frisked Tajul but could not find anything, yet he was handcuffed and beaten to death.