A Man on Crutches, A Mob, and A Death
Shahnur Alam Shanto was 55, walked on crutches, and had a metal rod in his arm from an old accident. No case had been filed against him at the local police station. His only apparent offence was his name appearing on a Union Awami League committee. According to his family, a mob assaulted him, police took him into custody, medical care was denied, and hospitalization came too late. On March 14, 2026, he died at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases in Dhaka. This is not a natural death. This is not acceptable.
One District, Six Deaths, Zero Accountability
Shanto is the sixth Bangladesh Awami League leader from Bogura to die in medical custody since August 2024. Six men from the same district cannot be mere misfortune. That is a pattern. His family alleges abduction, assault, deliberate denial of medical care, and delayed hospitalization. These allegations require an independent, transparent investigation, not silence, not deflection, and not the quiet normalization of political deaths.
Retribution Is Not Justice
In moments of political transition, there is always a temptation to treat the suffering of political opponents as deserved, or at least, as unurgent. That temptation must be resisted. Mob violence against a disabled man is not justice. Custody without charge that ends in death is not justice. These are human rights violations, regardless of which party the victim belonged to. Vengeance wearing the face of justice still corrodes everything it touches.
The Rule of Law Protects Everyone or It Protects No One
Every detainee has the right to life, medical care, and due process. These are not privileges. They are obligations the state must honor regardless of political identity. The moment the state selectively upholds these rights, it no longer upholds them at all. Bangladesh’s transition cannot afford to inherit the very abuses it rose against.
The Government Must Act, Not Just Respond
The both the government must order a credible, independent inquiry into every custodial death since August 2024. It must guarantee medical care for all detainees. It must investigate law enforcement’s role in mob violence against those in custody. And it must prosecute those responsible. A press statement is not accountability. Anything short of genuine action is complicity.
Death in Custody: What Domestic and International Law Require
When a person is taken into custody, the state assumes full responsibility for that individual’s safety, health, and dignity. A detainee cannot protect himself, seek medical care freely, or escape abuse. For that reason, the law places a heightened duty of care on the state.
In Bangladesh, the Constitution guarantees the right to life and protection from torture or cruel treatment. These rights apply to everyone, including those accused of crimes. The Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act, 2013 further criminalizes torture and deaths caused by law enforcement officials and provides legal remedies for victims and their families.
International law also sets clear standards. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights affirms the right to life and requires humane treatment of persons deprived of liberty. Likewise, the United Nations Convention Against Torture obliges states to prevent torture and investigate allegations of abuse.
Therefore, when a person dies in custody, the state must provide a prompt, impartial, and transparent investigation. Accountability in such cases is essential to uphold the rule of law and maintain public trust in the justice system.
History Is Watching, and So Are the Families
Shanto had a family. He navigated life on crutches in a country where that demands extraordinary resilience. He deserved the protection of the state while in its care. He did not receive it. His family deserves answers, not sympathy. Six families from Bogura deserve justice, not silence. A government that tolerates custodial deaths while speaking the language of reform is not honoring the sacrifices of July. It is betraying them, one death at a time.
The people of Bangladesh have the right to expect that the present government will take a different path from the mob-backed, lawless interim administration associated with Dr. Yunus. The Government of Bangladesh should ensure the protection of all citizens, including maintaining safe and secure prisons.
Parvez Hashem, Lawyer and Human Rights Defender
