Police demanded Tk 50,000 before the arrest of Mamun Hossain, who died in police custody on Tuesday afternoon, hours after his detention, the victim’s family alleged.

Mamun’s family said that he was tortured in Munshiganj’s Shreenagar police station on Monday and was handed over to Nawabganj police station early Tuesday where he was tortured again which led to his death.

Mamun, 31, an auto-rickshaw driver, was arrested in connection with a murder incident in Sreenagar of Munshiganj.

Nawabganj police officer-in-charge Shirajul Islam claimed that Mamun committed suicide in the bathroom of the police station lockup by hanging himself with the clothing he was wearing from the window grill.

The death took place two days after another youth was allegedly tortured to death in police custody in Sylhet.

The body’s inquest report was prepared by an executive magistrate and it was sent to Mitford Hospital morgue for post-mortem examinations, the OC added.

Mamun’s sister Sharmin Akhter Bithi said that the women who was killed was in her forties and added that she was from the locality and her body was recovered from a bush in Nawabganj of Dhaka on Sunday.

The woman’s family suspected Mamun’s involvement in the murder as the two families had disputes that developed into enduring rivalries.

‘The woman’s family accused us of the murder and attacked our house when a team of Sreenagar police came on a visit,’ said Bithi and added that Sreenagar police sub-inspector Khalilur Rahman and assistant sub-inspector Mizanur Rahman later demanded Tk 50,000 to solve the issue.

‘We could not afford the money immediately. I offered him Tk 2,000 instantly. Enraged, he drove us out,’ said Bithi. The woman’s family had beaten up Mamun on Monday and handed him over to Sreenagar police where he suffered custodial torture, the sister said.

The victim’s cousin Monir Hossain alleged that Mamun was brutally tortured in police custody which caused his death. There were marks of torture in his body and neck, he added.

When contacted, Shreenagar police SI Khalil brushed aside the allegations of torture and the demand made for money.

‘Locals gave Mamun a beating and then handed him over to Sreenagar police. We just transferred him to Nawabganj police since the murder case was filed there. We did not ask for any money,’ he said.

The ASI Mizan also echoed the words of his senior officer.

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