A leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party died in the custody of joint forces at Jibannagar Upazila Health Complex in Chuadanga early Tuesday.

The deceased is Shamsuzzaman Dablu, 50, general secretary of the BNP’s Jibannagar municipal unit in Chuadanga.

BNP leaders and the victim’s family alleged that Dablu died due to inhuman torture by a section of the members of the security forces in the name of arms recovery during a joint drive.

They also staged demonstrations in front of the upazila health complex since 10:00am. The demonstration continued till writing the report in the evening.

Additional police forces were deployed in the upazila town to avoid any further untoward incidents.

The Inter Services Public Relation directorate, in a press release on Tuesday, claimed that Dablu became senseless during a joint forces’ drive and was immediately taken to Jibannagar Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared him dead later.

ISPR said that all army members of a camp, from where the drive was launched, had already been withdrawn and a high-level probe committee was formed to determine the exact cause of the death.

ISPR termed the incident ‘unexpected, sad and in no way acceptable’.

‘Legal action will be taken under the Army Act against those who would be found guilty in the investigation,’ said the ISPR.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, in a condolence statement on the day, alleged that Shamsuzzaman Dablu was killed due to inhuman torture by a section of members of the security forces in the name of recovering arms.

‘We think that such an incident by the security forces is not good for the country,’ said Fakhrul.

People’s expectation is that any extrajudicial killing during the interim government should be tried in the judicial court, he said.

He demanded the chief of army staff’s intervention in the incident.

The members of the joint forces conducted a special drive at Jibannagar upazila at about 11:00pm on Monday on specific intelligence information, said the ISPR.

It said that they detained Dablu from a pharmacy near  the upazila health complex, allegedly for possessing an illegal firearm.

It said that the team, after extracting information from the detainee, conducted a search operation in the pharmacy and seized a 9mm pistol, one magazine and four bullets.

‘When the drive was completed, the detainee fell sick and became senseless suddenly. He was taken to Jibannagar upazila health complex, and then the duty doctors declared him dead at about 12:25am on Tuesday,’ said the ISPR release.

Rights group Ain O Salish Kendra, in a statement on Tuesday, condemned the death in Army custody and demanded an impartial investigation.

New Age correspondent in Kusthia, quoting Dablu’s brother Shariful Islam Kajol, reported that the family alleged that Dablu was tortured to death.

Chuadanga district BNP president and the party’s candidate for the Chuadanga-2 constituency, Mahmud Hasan Khan, alleged that BNP leaders and activists were being targeted in the name of security operations.

He claimed that Dablu died due to excessive torture.

On Tuesday morning, the police conducted an inquest in the presence of Jibannagar Upazila Nirbahi Officer and executive magistrate Md Al Amin.

Chuadanga additional superintendent of police Jamal Al Naser said that additional police personnel were deployed in the area to avert any kind of untoward situation.

The district superintendent of police Mohammad Monirul Islam said that army officials informed him that Dablu fell sick during questioning and was declared dead after being taken to the hospital.

Extrajudicial killings and custodial deaths increased in 2025 compared with 2024.

At least 38 extrajudicial killings and 107 custodial deaths were reported in 2025 and the numbers were 21 and 65, respectively, in 2024, according to the ASK yearly human rights report.

Of the 38 extrajudicial killings in 2025, 26 were killed in reported gunfights, physical torture and in joint forces custody, and 12 others were killed in the custody of law enforcement agencies in different police stations, the ASK report said.

Of the 107 custodial deaths, 69 were under-trial prisoners and 38 others were convicted prisoners.