The recent tragic deaths of Awami League leaders in custody or shortly after release highlight a persistent crisis of custodial neglect, medical denial, and politically motivated detentions in Bangladesh. These incidents demand urgent action from the newly formed BNP-led government to restore justice, humanity, and the rule of law.
On February 18, 2026, Akram Ali, 50, a prominent local Awami League leader from Thakurgaon’s Baliadanga Upazila and four-time elected chairman of Barabari Union Parishad, died at a Dhaka hospital just one day after his release on bail. Arrested on December 11, 2025, in connection with an explosives case, Akram reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest in Thakurgaon Jail on January 24, 2026.
His family alleges inadequate and delayed medical treatment during custody, which worsened his condition despite a transfer to Rangpur for care. Jail authorities denied negligence, stating he received treatment, but his rapid deterioration post-release raises serious questions about prison medical standards and accountability.
Just days earlier, on February 15, 2026, Shamikul Islam Sarkar, 60, president of Gaibandha’s Palashbari Upazila Awami League and vice principal of Palashbari Mohila College, died in Gaibandha District Jail (transferred to Rangpur Medical College Hospital).
He had been incarcerated since October 18, 2025, following earlier arrests post-August 2024, often being re-arrested in successive cases despite securing High Court bail multiple times in prior matters. Long suffering from heart disease and diabetes, his death from breathing difficulties and chest pain underscores allegations of prolonged detention without adequate health support.
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These cases add to a reported tally of at least 42 custodial or custody-related deaths among Awami League-affiliated political detainees over the past 18 months, with most occurring under the previous Yunus-led interim administration. Additional examples include former minister Ramesh Chandra Sen, 86, who died in February 2026 from chronic illnesses after being denied medical care despite bail rejections, and elderly leader Abdur Rahman Mia, 70, a cancer patient who succumbed in January 2026 after three months of rejected bail pleas and inadequate treatment in Chittagong Central Jail.
Human rights reports, including from organisations like Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation (MSF) and Write For Rights, document rising custodial deaths (15 in January 2026 alone), mob violence, and unidentified bodies, often linked to impunity and systemic issues in prisons. Overcrowding, poor medical facilities, and routine bail denials—even for gravely ill or elderly detainees—have fueled concerns of abuse.
The new BNP-led government, under Tarique Rahman, now bears responsibility to break this cycle, said senior journalist Probir Kumar Sarker. He raised three demands to the BNP government:
– Immediate independent, transparent investigations into all reported custodial deaths of political prisoners, including those of Akram Ali, Shamikul Islam Sarkar, Ramesh Chandra Sen, Abdur Rahman Mia, and others, with full autopsies, public findings, and accountability for any negligence, torture, or misconduct by jail or law enforcement officials.
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– Review and dismissal of false or politically motivated cases that have enabled arbitrary, prolonged detentions, serial re-arrests, and bail denials, ensuring judicial independence and adherence to legal standards.
– Granting of bail without delay to political prisoners languishing in jail for 18 months or more, particularly those with serious health conditions, elderly individuals, or where humanitarian grounds apply, in line with Bangladeshi law and international human rights norms.
Failure to act risks perpetuating a dangerous pattern of impunity that undermines public trust, prison reform, and democratic transition. The government must prioritise ending custodial torture, medical neglect, and abuse of detention powers to protect all citizens’ rights and signal a genuine commitment to justice, Probir said, adding a question: “Will these silent tragedies finally prompt meaningful change, or will silence prevail once more?”
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