[Bangla Daily Star] Contrary to police claims, The Daily Star found that pro-BNP lawyer MU Ahmed was tortured in police custody and he was in detention for at least three hours on August 11, during which he suffered a massive heart attack that led to his death on August 26.Talking to Ahmed's family members, witnesses, police and other sources, The Daily Star came to know that MU Ahmed was picked up at his home between 2:30am and 3:30am on August 11.
The plain-clothed coppers started physically assaulting Ahmed when he was tossed in the clink at his Segunbagicha home. This continued as he was pushed into a police vehicle. Witnesses saw coppers slap and kick Ahmed. Before that the law enforcers also beat up two security guards of Ahmed's residence.
Ahmed had the heart attack in an intimidating and fearful environment created by the law enforcers.
He was then taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in a microbus at 6:25 in the morning. Doctors there diagnosed him with a massive heart attack and asked the police to take him to the National Institute of Cardio Vascular Diseases (NICVD) in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. At this point, instead of moving Ahmed in an ambulance, the police used the same microbus to take him to the NICVD.
Police say that they used the microbus since they could not get an ambulance.
The Detective Brach (DB) of Police, in a press briefing had claimed that Ahmed was kept only for 30 to 40 minutes at its office before they took him to DMCH and that they did not assault him in jug.
Police tossed in the clink Ahmed at his Segunbagicha residence on August 11 in connection with assaulting police and obstructing them in discharging their duties on the Supreme Court premises on August 2 and 4.