Another inmate from the Tongi Juvenile Development Centre died at a hospital yesterday, with relatives blaming the death to torture.
The authorities said the boy died of illness.
Maruf Ahmed, 16, son of Rafiq Ahmed of Kishoreganj’s Ashtagram upazila died at 6:30 am today (Wednesday) while receiving treatment at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Confirming his death, Gazipur Tongi Kishore Unnyon kendra (boy) Supervisor Md Delwar Hossain said Maruf fell ill Saturday afternoon.
As there was no doctors or nurses at the Centre, he was first taken to Gazipur Shaheed Ahsanullah Master General Hospital and then to DMCH for better treatment.
He died there yesterday while undergoing treatment, he added.
While talking to The Daily Star, Maruf’s maternal uncle Shohag alleged that torture at the centre led to Maruf’s death.
“My sister visited Maruf on February 8. He was fine then. On February 11, they informed her that his son was ill,” he added.
Shohag said the boy’s mother, during her visit, noticed injury marks on Maruf’s hands, feet and neck.
He said Maruf pleaded with his mother to take him out of the centre accusing authorities of torture.
“Mother, I will not fight again in my life. I will not do bad things. Please, take me out of here. They make me to wash bathrooms and do the dishes. If I don’t obey, they beat me a lot,” Maruf’s uncle quoted Maruf as saying.
Maruf’s father said the authorities didn’t inform him when his son was taken to the hospital in Tongi. But, they did when the teenager’s situation worsened in DMCH.
Rafiq told The Daily Star, “When I came to DMCH, I saw a scar on his right eye. There were also scars on hands and feet. He was handcuffed. I pleaded them to open the cuffs, but they didn’t.”
They uncuffed him only after his death, he said.
“My son is died because of their torture,” said the grieving father.
ATM Touhiduzzaman, assistant director of Gazipur District Social Services Office, said they have been informed about the death of the teenager.
However, he said he hasn’t been informed about the details surrounding the death.
The body will be handed over to the family after post-mortem, said the centre’s superintendent.
Shahbagh Police Station SI Sanarul Haque refused to comment on the cause of death.
Details will be known after receiving the autopsy report, he added.
This isn’t the first case of death in the centre located at Tongi.
On August 24 last year, Kishore Rakib, another inmate died at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital.His family alleged that Rakib died due to delay in receiving treatment.
In June, another teenager died at the centre.
While talking to this correspondent, workers at the Tongi Kishore Unnyon kendra demanded expansion of the centre to ease the pressure of additional prisoners.
They also demanded a full-fledged hospital with doctors and nurses.
According to the authorities, the juvenile development center established on 5.34 acres of land under the Department of Social Services has a capacity of 200. However, the centre now have 727 juvenile inmates.
Daily Star
