Awami League Leader Dies in Custody Transfer in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, a member of the Awami League, Wasiqur Rahman Babu, aged 43, passed away while being moved for questioning from Kashimpur Central Jail in Gazipur district. Babu, who was the youth and sports secretary of Badda Thana Awami League and hailed from Tungipara upazila in Gopalganj district, reportedly suffered a heart attack, as stated by Kashimpur Central Jail-2 Superintendent Al Mamun. The incident occurred as a police team came to take Babu into custody, with him collapsing suddenly during the handover process at the prison. Despite being rushed to Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Medical College Hospital in Gazipur, Babu was pronounced dead upon arrival. Babu had been arrested under the Anti-Terrorism Act for alleged involvement in a procession in Dhaka’s Panthapath area and was later transferred to Kashimpur Central Jail-2. The interim government’s Home Affairs Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury recently ordered the immediate arrest of Awami League members, leading to heightened tensions within the party. The Awami League has criticized the interim government for what they perceive as targeted violence against their members, accusing the authorities of orchestrating a systematic crackdown on the party. The political situation in Bangladesh remains tense, with escalating violence and unrest following the removal of the democratically elected government.