An official of the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) has died while being in custody of Dhaka's Tejgaon Industrial Area police.
Police, however, claimed 45-year-old Abu Bakkar Siddique Babu killed himself inside the lockup after he was arrested on Saturday (Jan 19).
"A case was filed against him. He hanged himself to the lockup's iron grill using his shawl," said Deputy Commissioner Biplob Bijoy Talukdar of the Tejgaon Industrial Zone police.
According to him, the other inmates in the lockup didn't notice the incident. When asked about the guards, the senior police officer replied, "The sentries are usually posted at the entrance of the police station, not in front of the lockup."
Babu, a floor in-charge of BFDC, was arrested from Tejgaon the same day in an ICT case filed by one Roksana Aktar.
“Babu had an extramarital affair with Rokasan Aktar. He allegedly threatened her. Charges under the ICT and women's repression legislations were brought against him” said Assistant Commissioner Moinul Hasan of the Tejgaon Industrial Zone police.
“He killed himself while in custody, which is clearly seen in the CCTV footage,” he said.
Babu was declared dead when he was rushed to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) early on Sunday in an unconscious state, said police.
Later in the day, Babu's former wife Aleya Ferdousi identified him.
"I heard the police detained him yesterday [Saturday]. It was the police who informed me that Abu Bakar Siddique [Babu] has been hospitalised," she told the media at the hospital.
Babu, who hailed from Noakhali, lived at Dhaka's Mohammadpur with his two children.
Babu's colleague, BFDC Administrative official Rafiqul Islam said he had received a phone call from the police around 8pm on Saturday.
"They had called me to verify whether Abu Bakar Siddique worked at the FDC. I came to know later he died in custody," he said.
Another colleague, however, said it was unlikely that Babu killed himself.
"Police said Babu killed himself, but it's very unlikely of him. How can he do that inside the police station?" said GM Sayeed, who works as a videographer at the BFDC.