Magistrate finds no marks on Mushtaq’s body in first inquest
The executive magistrate did not find any hit marks on the body of writer Mushtaq Ahmed, 53, who died in custody in Gazipur on Thursday night, in the first inquest.
The body of Mushtaq has been handed over to the family on Friday noon after performing autopsy. Later relatives left Gazipur with the body for Dhaka.
Hospital authorities said executive magistrate of Gazipur district, Md Asaduzzaman Chowdhury prepared the first inquest report around 11:00 am on Friday. Then physician Md Safi Mohaimein of Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital’s forensic department carried out the autopsy. Police handed over the body to the relatives around 12:30 pm after the autopsy. Mushtaq’s cousin Nafisur Rahman and other relatives received the body.
Executive magistrate Md Asaduzzaman Chowdhury said the inquest report of the body has been prepared. Initially no hit mark was found on the body.
Hearing the news of Mushtaq’s custodial death, relatives and friends had gathered in front of the hospital’s morgue since the morning. They alleged that he would have not died if he was out of the prison. His death was a great loss to his family and everyone.
Mushtaq’s friend Didarul Islam Bhuiyan, who is also an accused in the case and now out on bail, came to the morgue in the morning. He cried upon seeing the body of Mushtaq, saying, “At first, Mushtaq, Kishore and I were in the Keraniganj Central Jail. Then we were brought to Kashimpur. We were kept separately in Kashimpur so I couldn’t meet Mushtaq. I never thought I would ever have to see his body like this.” He said, “No one is free in this country. Maybe I will face another lawsuit if I talk to the media, so I don’t want to talk more.”
Later Didarul Alam said the body of Mushtaq will be taken to Lalmatia Mina Mosque after asar prayer. Then the writer will buried in Azimpur graveyard.
Coordinator of Kendrio Sramik Odhikar Parishad (Central Workers’ Rights Council), Arman said, “Our freedom of speech and writing no longer exists. If we can’t write, why do we need this freedom? However, I am hopeful one day justice will prevail.”
Writer Mushtaq Ahmed, who was arrested last May in a case filed under Digital Security Act amid the Covid-19 crisis, died in police custody at around 8:30pm on Thursday.
Mushtaq suffered a heart attack inside his cell at Kashimpur High Security Prison on Thursday evening, the jail authorities claimed.
The 53-year-old writer was transported to Shaheed Tajuddin Medical College Hospital, but he was declared dead on arrival, senior jail superintendent Md Gias Uddin said.