The National Human Rights Commission has ordered a proper investigation into the death of bodybuilder Farooq in police custody and legal action.
In a press release signed by Farhana Saeed, Deputy Director of Human Rights Commission, the attention of the National Human Rights Commission has been drawn to the report published in different media titled ‘Bodybuilder Farooq’s death in police custody’ on February 8.
In this regard, the commission chairman. Kamal Uddin Ahmed said that the matter of the complaint is very serious and if the incident is true, the commission considers it a gross violation of human rights. Torture or death in custody is not acceptable in any way. Exemplary punishment should be taken against the responsible persons subject to proper investigation of the incident.
The senior secretary of the public security department of the Ministry of Home Affairs has been instructed to investigate the incident on an urgent basis and take necessary legal measures and submit a report to the commission.
Wife’s case in connection with Farooq’s death
According to the complaint filed by Ima Akhter Happy, the wife of the deceased Farooq, Farooq Hossain Khawaja left his house in Dewan Singh Lane Lalbagh for personal work around 9:30 pm on January 12. An hour later Farooq Hossain called his wife Happy and told that some policemen of Kayetuli outpost were holding him and torturing him. Running there with a two-year-old child in his lap, he saw that the policemen had beaten Farooq and detained him.
Happy then present (SI) Imdadul Haque, Masud Rana, Bulbul Ahmed and others held hands and feet and demanded to release her husband. Then Imdadul Haque told him that Farooq is a big criminal, abused them. He will not be released. And if you want to leave, you will need one lakh taka.
Then Happy said that her husband is the personal bodyguard of the former chairman of City Bank Mohammad Shoaib. Formerly a bodybuilder, he became Mr. Bangladesh. He has three young children. His family runs on his income. let him go Later they demanded a reduction of 50 thousand rupees and gave him a bad proposal. For not agreeing, Farooq was beaten further.
The accused claimed that Farooq was a drug dealer. They can’t do anything. Their elder sir knows about this. After some time, the policemen took Farooq to Banshal police station on a motorcycle.
It is also said in the case that Happy went to the police station and held the hands and feet of Inspector Mainul Hossain and begged him to release her husband. That didn’t work either. They asked Happy to approach the CMM court the next day.
The next day, Happy went to the court to inquire about her husband. Meet her husband there. Farooq told his wife about the beating and asked him to seek justice in court if anything happened to him. On inquiry, Happy came to know that a case of 150 grams of ganja has been filed against Farooq. Later he returned home around 6 pm.
At around 8:30 am on January 15, a person from Dhaka Medical College (Dhamek) Hospital called Happy and said that Farooq had passed away. Happy went to the hospital morgue and saw her husband’s body. At this time, he saw injury marks on Farooq’s neck, chest and back.
