Bangladesh’s Awami League has strongly criticized the custodial death of one of its party leaders, Bablu Mia, in Sirajganj District Jail. The party accused the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government of engaging in violent political retaliation within state detention facilities. Bablu Mia, aged 52, passed away at a hospital in Sirajganj after falling ill in jail, as reported by prison authorities.
The daughter of the deceased, Meem Khatun, revealed to The Daily Star that her father was arrested on June 21 in connection with a violence case. She mentioned that a case dating back to 2025 was filed against him for an incident from 2023, and he was arrested in relation to that case. She emphasized that her father was in good health at the time of his arrest.
The Awami League expressed concerns that Bablu Mia’s death is not an isolated incident but part of a broader campaign of elimination with state support. The party criticized the arrest of opposition leaders on political grounds, leading to neglect and abuse in custody, ultimately resulting in their deaths. It questioned the circumstances surrounding Bablu’s sudden demise after just one month in prison, highlighting the need for proper care of political detainees.
The Awami League accused the BNP of using old and fabricated cases to imprison political opponents, aiming to incapacitate or eliminate them physically and mentally. The party stressed that ensuring the safety and medical well-being of political detainees is a legal and moral obligation of the state and prison authorities. It raised alarm over the pattern of political leaders and activists dying in custody without due judicial process, portraying prisons as tools of political oppression under the current government.
