'My good father tortured to death'

After the joint forces were withdrawn, there was wailing at the home of the deceased Jubo Dal leader, Touhidul Islam, 40.

His body was brought back to his home around 8:00pm on Friday after an autopsy at the morgue of Comilla Medical College Hospital. The funeral prayer was scheduled for Saturday afternoon, and he was to be buried in the family graveyard.

Just six days ago, Touhidul's father, Mokhlesur Rahman, 85, passed away due to old age. His memorial service was arranged for Friday, but it ultimately didn’t take place due to Touhidul's death, which has disrupted everything.

No case has been filed in connection with Touhidul's death. Doctors and relatives have reported marks of torture on his body. However, the officer-in-charge of Cumilla Kotwali Model police station, Mohammad Mohinul Islam, claimed that there were no complaints from the family.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, he said, "The family has no complaints regarding Touhidul's death. We filed a general diary (GD), prepared a report on the body, and handed it over after the autopsy."

However, Touhidul's family and relatives tell a different story. Touhidul's brother-in-law, Sohel Mohiuddin, said this morning, "The extent of inhuman torture that led to Touhidul's death is beyond words. There was no case filed, not even a GD. We will definitely file a case. If the police don't take it, we will go to court. Touhidul's four daughters are now orphans."

Touhidul's elder brother, Abul Kalam Azad, told Prothom Alo, "My brother was tortured and killed. When the joint forces raided our house, they repeatedly asked, 'Where are the weapons?' Where would we get them from? They tortured and killed my brother based on false information. We demand a proper investigation and justice."

Another brother-in-law, Khan-e-Alam, mentioned, "There has been a land dispute with a family near our house. We suspect they gave the army false information, claiming Touhidul had weapons. We want a full investigation into this incident and justice for those behind it."

Touhidul Islam was the Jubo League convener of the Panchthubi union in Cumilla Adarsha sadar upazila. He lived in Italla village and worked at a shipping agency in the port of Chittagong. He had four brothers and three sisters. His mother passed away nearly 20 years ago. He leaves behind a wife and four daughters. The eldest daughter, Tasfiya Akhter, is 14, while the others are still little children. His wife, Yasmin Nahar, is devastated by the loss.

In the morning, a freezer ambulance carrying Touhidul's body was parked in Italla village. Relatives and villagers gathered at his home to pay their last respects. His wife, daughters, and relatives could not stop crying.

Around 10:00am, hundreds of people held a human chain on the road in front of his house. The villagers claim that the Jubo League leader was "brutally murdered." His wife, accompanied by her four daughters, also participated in the protest. They stood in front of the vehicle carrying his body and broke down in tears.

Later, at around 12:30pm, another human chain was held in front of the Cumilla Press Club, where the vehicle carrying his body was parked. The human chain continued until 1:00pm, with Touhidul's family members and villagers participating.

With a tearful voice, Yasmin Nahar said, "The army took my husband away without any crime. Then they tortured and killed him. I want justice for my husband's murder. I want justice for those who made my innocent daughters orphans. If the law is equal for everyone, why should we not receive justice?"

Touhidul's eldest daughter, Tasfiya Akhter, could not stop crying. She said, "Who will we call father now? My father was a very good man. They tortured and killed my good father. We four sisters have become orphans. We want justice for the killers of our father."

A local resident, Fazlur Rahman, said during the human chain, "They took away and killed a good man. We cannot accept this. We demand a proper investigation and justice. We are now going to hold another protest in front of the Cumilla Press Club with the body. We want justice for this murder."

Touhidul's brother, Sadequr Rahman, provided a detailed account of the events: "On 26 January, my father passed away. Upon hearing the news, my brother Touhidul came home from Chattagram that same day. His memorial service was planned for Friday. Late Thursday night, we were preparing for the ceremony when around 2:30am, army personnel came to our house. They had no police officers with them, but five young men in plain clothes were with them. As soon as they entered the house, they detained Touhidul. They took all our mobile phones and conducted a thorough search, but found nothing. We repeatedly asked why they were detaining Touhidul, but they gave no answer, only asking, 'Where are the weapons?' Eventually, they took him in their vehicle. The next morning, the army came back and searched again, still finding nothing."

Sadequr Rahman continued, "Around 11:45am on Friday, an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) from the Comilla Kotwali Model police station, Morshed Alam, called us through another person and informed us that Touhidul’s condition was very bad, asking us to come quickly to Comilla Medical College Hospital. When we arrived, we found that Touhidul had already passed away. He had been brutally tortured. From his waist down to his feet, there were large, swollen, black bruises. His body was covered with signs of torture—his stomach, chest, back, legs, and neck had marks."

Previously, on Friday afternoon, Cumilla’s additional police superintendent (Sadar Circle), Mohammad Saiful Malik, told Prothom Alo, "Around 11:am on Friday, the army informed the police to take Touhidul Islam. When he was handed over to the police, he was unconscious. After being taken to the hospital, the doctors declared him dead. We cannot yet say why he was detained or how he died. We are trying to get more details. The actual cause of death will be determined after the autopsy report."