Viral video shows Jubo League activist writhing on ground during police raid, dies at hospital
A young man was seen rolling on the ground in apparent agony. Shirtless, he kept turning from side to side and pounding the ground while speaking incoherently. At one point he was heard saying, “Sir, I have two children.”
This was the scene in a 35-second video that spread widely on Facebook on Saturday. The video was reportedly recorded at around midnight on Thursday during a police operation in the Ambagan Ansar Club area under Khulshi police station in Chattogram city.
The man, seen writhing on the ground in the footage, has been identified as Didarul Alam. He was taken to hospital in an ill condition during the police raid and later died there.
Police claim that when they attempted to arrest Didarul, who was accused in multiple cases, he chewed and swallowed several yaba tablets he had been carrying. He later fell seriously ill and died in hospital.
Didarul Alam was an activist of the Jubo League, youth wing of Bangladesh Awami League, whose activities have been banned in the country, unit under Pahartali police station. His death came to light after the video circulated widely online Saturday night.
In the video, posted on Facebook by a user named M Mizanur Rahman, Didarul can be seen lying on the ground and rolling in pain. He appears to be writhing in distress. At one point he is heard saying, “Give me my mobile, give me money—sir, I have two children.”
According to witnesses and police sources, the Chattogram Metropolitan Police is currently conducting a special operation, named “S Drive”. As part of the operation, police launched a raid to arrest Didarul, who was accused in cases involving drugs and murder.
Sensing the police presence, Didarul allegedly chewed and swallowed the yaba tablets he had with him. When police located him, he was already rolling on the ground in distress. Police and local residents first took him to Agrabad Ma o Shishu Hospital and later transferred him to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, where he died.
When contacted, Aminur Rashid, CMP assistant commissioner (media), told Prothom Alo that preliminary information suggests Didarul Alam died after chewing and swallowing an excessive number of yaba tablets.
An unnatural death case has been filed with Khulshi police station over the incident, he added.
Khulshi police station officer-in-charge Zahidul Islam said a post-mortem examination had been conducted on Didarul’s body. The exact cause of death will be confirmed after the report is received.
However, initial findings suggest he died after consuming an excessive amount of yaba, he said, adding that Didarul had been accused in cases involving murder and narcotics.