A probe report on the death of lawyer Polash Kumar Roy, who died after being burnt in a prison in Panchagarh claims that it was a ‘suicide.’
The report, that was ordered after a petition was filed on May 6, was submitted with the High Court (HC) bench of Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice Md Badruzzaman on Wednesday (Aug 21).
“For now the incident is being considered as suicide,” the court said after scrutinizing the report.
The petitioner's counsel said that the Polash didn’t receive any treatment for 24 hours after being set aflame and he could’ve been saved if not for the delay.
The court then found several complaints in the report including free usage of gas lighters, no fire safety of CCTV cameras inside the Panchagarh Jail premises, a nurse with a diploma in the prison hospital and the surgical department being looked after by a murder convict.
It then ordered the report to be sent to the home secretary and inspector general (prison) and also ordered them to respond to the complaints about jail facilities by Oct 15.
Polash, 36, was arrested on Mar 26 and sent to Panchagarh jail for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a speech at a protest on Mar 25.
He was set on fire the very day he was sent to prison in the toilet of the jail’s medical centre.
Polash was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment, where he died on April 30.
On May 6, a writ was lodged by Barrister Syed Sayedul Huq Sumon Sumon seeking a judicial probe into the death.
Two days later on May 8, the HC ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident by a magistrate under the supervision of Panchagarh's chief judicial magistrate.
Polash was a member of the Dhaka Bar Association and had formerly worked in the legal department of Kohinoor Chemical Company Limited.
He joined the company in 2013 and resigned in 2016 and in an audio clip, that he reportedly recorded before dying, he claimed that that the owner of Kohinoor Company used him for unethical work, including making false documents.
He said that since he could not support such unlawful work, he left his job.
In the audio recording, Polash is heard to be saying: “after resigning, the company lodged a Tk. 3.1m embezzlement case against me.”
He also said that Kohinoor Company is abetted by many influential government officials in its unlawful activities.