Young Man Dies at BTCL Office

A young man, believed to be around 25, died after being detained over an alleged theft attempt at the Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL) office in the capital’s Tejgaon Industrial Area. BTCL employees alleged that the man was beaten by on-duty Ansar members and office staff, while the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Force denied the allegation. According to Ansar, the youth was injured after falling through an old tin roof while being chased.

The incident took place on Tuesday (8 September) at the BTCL office near Satrasta and the Tejgaon truck stand area. According to people familiar with the incident, three young men entered the BTCL premises by climbing over the wall at around 7:30am. They were chased on suspicion of attempting to steal from the premises. One was detained while the other two fled.

BTCL office assistant Md Saiful and caretaker Shawkat Ali said the detained youth attempted to escape and struck an Ansar member’s hand during the attempt. They alleged that BTCL employees and Ansar members later tied his hands and beat him, leaving him critically injured.

Shawkat Ali said three youths entered the BTCL premises by climbing over the wall in the morning with an alleged intention to steal. One was detained by Ansar members and office staff, while the other two escaped. He said the detained youth struck an Ansar member while trying to flee and was subsequently beaten after his hands were tied.

BTCL office assistant Saiful Islam told journalists that he learned after arriving at the office that a youth had been detained over an alleged theft attempt. He said the youth was kept at the Ansar camp and became unconscious after being beaten there. He was later taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).

However, the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Force rejected the allegation that its members beat the youth. In a statement issued Tuesday, the force said it had taken note of reports published by various media outlets alleging that Ansar members had beaten a youth suspected of theft to death at the BTCL office in Tejgaon.

According to the force, the allegations against its members were baseless and inconsistent with the actual incident.

Ansar said several youths entered the Tejgaon T&T cable storage area at around 7:30am. Ansar member Shahjamal, who was on duty, allegedly saw one of them attempting to steal and chased him. While running across an old tin roof, the youth fell through the roof.

The force said BTCL staff member Md Shawkat Hossain subsequently detained him. Ansar members assigned to security duties assisted in the detention following a telephone instruction from the organisation.

According to Ansar, platoon commander PC Nurul Islam handed the detained youth over to BTCL public officer Sultan Mahmud and electrician Saiful Islam. The Ansar members then left the scene.

The force said there was no incident of beating or torture after the youth was taken to the Ansar camp. It therefore said claims that the youth died due to assault by Ansar members had no connection with the actual incident.

The Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Force also said its members respect the law, rules and humanitarian values while performing their duties. It said their primary responsibility is to hand over anyone violating security at a facility to the relevant authorities through proper legal procedures. In this case, the detained individual was also handed over to responsible officials of the concerned organisation, it said.

However, an Ansar member said platoon commander Nurul Islam was present at the scene during the incident. He was later said to be in a meeting with senior officials. Repeated calls to his mobile phone were not answered.

Nurul Islam later told the media that BTCL employees, along with Ansar members, had also beaten the alleged thief. He claimed that BTCL employees often caught suspected thieves and informed the company, but the authorities did not report the matter to police.

Nurul Islam said he was near the gate and later heard a commotion. When he went there, he saw a suspected thief being detained. He said he did not know what had happened before or after that.

The injured youth was taken to the emergency department of DMCH at around 3:30pm in a CNG-powered autorickshaw. After examination, doctors declared him dead.

DMCH Police Camp Inspector Md Habibur Rahman said the approximately 25-year-old man was brought to the hospital unconscious. Doctors declared him dead at around 3:30pm after examination. His body has been kept in the hospital morgue, and the relevant police station has been informed.

Police sources said they are trying to identify the deceased through his fingerprints and the national identity database. Police will also question the Ansar members who were on duty at the time of the incident.

Tejgaon Industrial Area Police Station Officer-in-Charge Muhammad Mahbubur Rahman said police went to both the scene and the hospital after receiving information about the incident. He said officers were trying to establish what exactly happened and that necessary legal action would be taken. He also said further details would be provided later.

During a visit to the area, it was seen that the BTCL office is located beside a public toilet in the middle section of Tejgaon Truck Stand Road. A signboard reading “Proposed Headquarters of the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Force” was also visible there.

Three Ansar members were seen on duty at the main gate. They said, however, that they were not on duty when the incident occurred. The members who were on duty at the time were reportedly resting.

As accounts from BTCL employees and Ansar members differ significantly, police are investigating the incident to establish what happened and determine the circumstances and cause of the young man’s death.

//DBTech/TBSPA/SME/MIS//