Hasan Syeed, the former husband of Dhaka University teacher Rumana Monzur, was found dead in a prison cell at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University in the capital on Monday morning.
The 38-year-old Hasan was sent to the BSMMU prison cell on November 23 for treatment of his eyes, the family members said. The prisons directorate authorities as well as that of the BSMMU said Hasan was found dead at about 4:45am in a toilet attached to his
room on the first floor of the four-storey prison cell building.
The prison cell sources told New Age that his roommate Yusuf Ali informed the hospital authorities that Hasan was inside the toilet but he was not making any response.
On information, the staff of both BSMMU and the prisons directorate recovered him from the toilet.
It was not confirmed whether he was unconscious or dead at the time, the sources told New Age.
The family said the prisons authorities in the morning informed them about the death and said it was caused by a ‘cardiac arrest’.
Hasan’s father Syeed Ahmed Kabir told reporters at the BSMMU that he saw his son dead and lying on a bed. Syeed Ahmed, however, expressed his confusion about the sudden ‘death’.
‘If he would be killed, will we be able access the evidence,’ he wondered.
On Saturday, Hasan’s mother and brother met him at the prison cell, when Hasan was seen quite normal and asked about his bail, his family said.
‘We tried hard to obtain the bail but failed due to media pressure,’ his father said.
BSMMU additional director Jamaluddin Khalifa said Hasan was admitted to the hospital for eye treatment but he was under supervision of the prisons authorities.
The prisons authorities repeatedly said Hasan died of cardiac arrest.
The Shahbagh police in the presence of executive magistrate Shamima Khandaker prepared his inquest report.
Shamima Khandaker told reporters that there were marks on the wrists that suggest his hands were tied with the roof.
‘But, it’s not suicide…’ she told reporters.
The police said the cause of the death would be confirmed after post-mortem examinations.
Rumana, an assistant professor of international relations at Dhaka University, was allegedly brutally tortured by Hasan on June 5, when the couple were staying at the Dhanmondi residence of the former’s parents. The incident left her left eye and nose critically injured.
In a reaction, Rumana’s cousin Rashed Maqsood told New Age on Monday that ‘It’s sad. We demanded punishment but not such a death.’
Rumana, who is staying at Vancouver in Canada along with her only daughter Anushe Rida Syeed, however, does not know about the death, he said.
The victim’s father, retired major Monzur Hossain, filed a case with Dhanmondi police station on June 6 against Hasan on charge of attempting to kill his daughter.
Hasan had claimed to be a dropout from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. The BUET authorities recently announced that Hasan had never been a student at the university.
Rumana, who divorced Hasan a few months ago, flew to Canada in July.
Hasan had been in jail after being interrogated for six days by the Detective Branch of police in four phases since his arrest on June 15, the police said.
-With New Age input
