ACC Service Association demands legal action over death of former deputy director in police custody

Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) Service Association has demanded legal action from concerned authorities over the death of retired ACC Deputy Director Syed Mohammad Shahidullah death while under police custody in Chattogram.

"The victim's family claimed that the killing was planned. Necessary medicines were not allowed to be taken during his detention. If their claim is true, it is a grave violation of human rights," the ACC Service Association said in a press release on Wednesday (4 October). 

"In this case, it appears that there has been abuse of power as well as negligence on the part of the authorities," it added. 

ACC) Service Association said in the press release that it is not the responsibility of any department, but the concerned officer investing the case.

"Abuse of power by concerned officials is a punishable offence," it said. 

Former ACC Deputy Director Syed Mohammad Shahidullah died in police custody in Chattogram in the early hours of Wednesday.

Syed Mohammad Shahidullah was brought to the Chandgaon police station from his house in Bahaddar Hat in Chattogram city on the basis of an arrest warrant in a Complaint Registered Case, said Chandgaon police station Officer In-charge (OC) Khairul Islam.

However, during his detention, he suddenly fell sick and his family members, who were present at the time, rushed him to the Parkview Hospital.

He died around 12:30am while undergoing treatment, likely due to suffering from heart problems, said the OC.

The children of the deceased claimed that their father was killed by the police in a planned manner.

After being brought to the police station, the police refused to give him an inhaler even though he was extremely ill, they added.

They said, 67-year-old Shahidullah had undergone bypass surgery and was advised to have another surgery which could not be done as his physical condition was not favourable.

Shahidullah's son Nafis Shahid told The Business Standard (TBS), "Two Assistant Sub Inspectors Yusuf and Sohail of Chandgaon police station brought my father to the police station from our home. The collapsible gate of the police station was closed after taking him in.

"He is a heart patient. They did not even let us give him his heart medicine and inhaler. The police misbehaved with him. There his condition deteriorated and he died. Later, when he was taken to Parkview Hospital, the doctors on duty said that our father died even before being brought to the hospital."

"My father was treated like this in a planned way by the police. We will take legal action in this matter," Nafis Shahid also told TBS.

Shahidullah's family members said that there was a dispute with some local people over land, but they have not heard about any recent case. They have not even received any notice from the court.