Mushtaq’s death: Probe body gets 5 more days to submit report

The probe committee formed by the Gazipur district administration to investigate the death of writer Mushtaq Ahmed in prison has been given five more days to submit its report.

Confirming the matter, Gazipur Deputy Commissioner (DC) SM Tarikul Islam said a two-member committe had been formed internally to examine whether there was any negligence in Mushtaq’s treatment before his death.

The committee was unable to submit its report on Monday, the initial deadline, and consequently, it was given five additional days to complete its investigation. 

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The committee members are executive magistrates Md Wasiuzzaman Chowdhury and Umme Habiba Farzana.

DC Tarikul said: “As far as we have been informed, Mushtaq lost consciousness after going to the washroom in the evening on February 25.

“The prison authorities took him to the prison hospital first and later shifted him to Shaheed Taj Uddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital, where the doctor on duty pronounced him dead at 8:20pm.”

Mushtaq Ahmed, who was arrested in a Digital Security Act case, died at Kashimpur High Security Prison on February 25.

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The 53-three-year-old writer was behind the bars since May last year following his arrest in a case started by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and was denied bail six times.

He was shifted to the Kashimpur prison in August last year, according to Senior Jail Superintendent Gias Uddin.

The RAB arrested him along with cartoonist Ahmed Kabir Kishore on the charge of propagating disinformation against the government on social media under the Digital Security Act (DSA).