Another Awami League leader has died while in custody in Bangladesh, with Nur Islam, the 55-year-old general secretary of the Awami League's unit in Mirsarai Municipality, passing away on Wednesday afternoon after falling ill at Chattogram Central Jail, according to local media reports. The death adds to a rising count of custodial fatalities involving Awami League members across Bangladesh.

What Happened Inside the Jail

Nur Islam complained of chest pain on Wednesday afternoon and was first taken to the prison hospital by jail guards. As his condition worsened, he was transferred to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH), where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Md Iqbal Hossain, senior jail superintendent of Chattogram Central Jail, confirmed the death and told Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star that Nur Islam had been sent to jail after being arrested under the country's Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009. 'As his condition deteriorated, he was later transferred to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH), where doctors declared him dead,' Iqbal said.

Family's Account: Repeated Arrests and Mental Toll

Speaking to Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo, Rokeya Akhter, the widow of Nur Islam, said her husband had been arrested by Mirsarai police station in connection with a political case and remanded to prison through a court order. He was granted bail on 31 August, but was re-arrested at the prison gate the very next day in a separate case and taken back into custody.

Rokeya said the cycle of arrests severely affected her husband's mental health. 'Despite his involvement in politics, my husband never harmed anyone. He was already physically ill. He died due to mental torture and torture after being imprisoned in a false case. My two young children became orphans after losing their father,' Prothom Alo quoted her as saying.

Awami League Alleges Systematic Targeting

The Awami League described Nur Islam's death as a 'glaring indictment' of what it called an ongoing 'mass killing' of citizens affiliated with the party. It alleged that he had not been convicted of any crime but was held in Chittagong jail for over 30 days despite a critical health condition, and was denied proper medical treatment.

'No bail, denial of medical treatment and torture killing arbitrarily detained party activists inside jails, worst even rights abuses legitimised under extrajudicial ban on Awami League. While convicted terrorists and extremists are released from jail on bail, cops are now abusing the draconian anti-terror law to detain, torture and kill political dissenters in jail with impunity,' the party said in a statement.

Broader Context and International Silence

The Awami League further alleged that the 'deliberate killing of political activists inside prisons is going with impunity, instigated by the silence of the UN and global rights bodies.' The party's claims have not been independently verified, and Bangladeshi authorities have not issued a formal response to the allegations of torture or deliberate denial of treatment. This comes amid heightened political tensions in Bangladesh following a period of significant governmental transition, with the Awami League operating under what it describes as an extrajudicial ban. Rights groups have previously flagged concerns about conditions in Bangladeshi prisons, though the specific allegations in this case remain unverified beyond the party's own account.