Bangladesh: Rights body raises alarm over custodial death of senior lawyer
Paris, May 27 (IANS) A leading international human rights organisation strongly condemned the custodial death of a senior lawyer in Bangladesh, stating that such recurring incidents raise grave concerns over state accountability and human rights violations.
The statement came after the former Satkhira Judge Court Public Prosecutor Abdul Latif reportedly died on May 25 after suffering a stroke while in jail custody, as confirmed by the prison authorities.
Reports suggest that Latif, who was previously associated with the Awami League, went into hiding following the July 2024 demonstrations. He was later arrested along with his son, Aminul Islam Rasel, on December 12, 2025, by the Satkhira District Detective Branch (DB) Police from the Bohera area of Khulna City Corporation.
Expressing grave concern over his death, Justice Makers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) alleged that the imprisonment of Latif without trial for over five months continued despite no visible progress in the judicial process regarding the allegations brought against him.
“Detaining a person for a prolonged period without proving the allegations and without ensuring an effective judicial process is contrary to the fundamental principles of justice. Subjecting a person to what effectively amounts to punishment before the completion of trial is incompatible with the norms of a civilised democratic system,” the rights body noted.
Citing allegations made by family members and colleagues, the rights body claimed that Latif had been living in “inhumane prison conditions, suffering from poor-quality food, inadequate sanitation facilities, unhealthy surroundings, unsuitable accommodation, and lack of proper medical care”.
It further alleged that effective medical treatment was not ensured in a timely manner, even after he became seriously ill.
JMBF warned that the growing “culture of political retaliation, false cases, and extrajudicial harassment” across Bangladesh undermines the rule of law and damages public confidence in the justice system. It stressed that depriving citizens of their fundamental rights because of political identity or ideology violates democratic values and constitutional governance.
“The death of senior lawyer Abdul Latif in Satkhira prison is not an isolated incident. Rather, it is part of a continuing pattern since the fall of the Awami League government, where Awami League leaders and activists have been arrested in one false case after another, detained for months without trial, and subjected to deaths in custody due to poor-quality food, inadequate sanitation, unhealthy prison conditions, unsuitable accommodation, and lack of proper medical care,” said Shahanur Islam, Founder President of JMBF and a prominent human rights lawyer.
JMBF called on the Bangladeshi authorities to immediately form an independent, impartial, and judicial inquiry commission into Latif’s death. At the same time, it urged the authorities to identify and hold accountable those responsible for failures relating to his treatment, security, and human rights conditions in custody.
–IANS
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