Mysterious death in police custody sparks questions in Chakaria
CCTV footage goes missing; OC transferred, three other police personnel withdrawn
Early yesterday morning (22 August), Durjoy Chowdhury, 38, an office assistant at Chokoria Government High School in Cox's Bazar, was discovered dead while in police custody under suspicious circumstances.
Authorities report that CCTV footage after 1:22am, along with Durjoy's personal bag and laptop, is missing, intensifying concerns over transparency and accountability.
Following the incident, the Cox's Bazar Superintendent of Police transferred Officer-in-charge (OC) Mohammad Shafiqul Islam and appointed Touhidul Anwar in his place. One assistant sub-inspector and two constables were also withdrawn to the district police line, signaling internal accountability measures.
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On Thursday evening, Acting Headmistress Rabeya Khanam of Chokoria Government High School filed a complaint with Chokoria Police Station, accusing the school's office assistant, Durjoy Chowdhury, of check fraud and embezzling Tk 283,000 in cash from the institution. Based on this complaint, OC Shafiqul detained Durjoy in custody.
Durjoy's father, Komol Chowdhury, recounted that on Thursday, after Durjoy left for work, Acting Headmistress of the school, Rabeya Khanam, summoned him around 11am, accusing Durjoy of embezzling school funds.
"I told the teachers that if my son had taken any money, I would repay it fully. Even if he lost his job, do not act unjustly," Komol said. He alleged that Durjoy's laptop contained critical evidence of corruption within the school against former and current headteachers.
Noting that Durjoy was recognised as the top computer operator in the upazila. "I believe he was deliberately killed to suppress this information," Komol said, urging authorities to recover the missing CCTV footage and laptop.
The circumstances of Durjoy's death remain suspicious. Police claim he was found hanging around 4am, but Komol questioned how such an act was possible, citing the two-inch gaps in the iron grilles where he was allegedly hanged. The absence of both the laptop and personal bag further fuels doubts among the relatives and locals about the official account of suicide.
Durjoy's body was taken to Cox's Bazar Hospital for autopsy on Friday morning and handed to the family around 3pm, followed by a funeral at Chokoria social crematorium.
Human rights activists, including Uday Shankar Palmitu of the Cox's Bazar Puja Celebration Committee, have called for the immediate arrest of the school head to uncover the truth.
A three-member police investigation committee, headed by Additional SP Jasim Uddin Chowdhury, has begun work, with a report expected shortly.
