Resolve application for post-mortems of 13 BNP leaders who died in custody: HC

The High Court has directed prison authorities to resolve an application seeking post-mortem reports on the deaths of 13 BNP leaders and activists in various prisons across the country, including Dhaka, Rajshahi, and Rangpur.

This order was issued by the High Court bench of Justice Mostafa Zaman Islam and Justice S M Masud Hossain Dolon on Tuesday (28 May) following the disposal of a writ petition.

Barrister Kaiser Kamal represented the writ in court, while Attorney General A M Amin Uddin and Deputy Attorney General Tushar Kanti Roy appeared for the state.

After the order, Barrister Kaiser Kamal told journalists that in recent months, 13 BNP leaders and activists had died in prisons in various parts of the country, including Dhaka, Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Satkhira, during ongoing protests.

He said after hearing the writ, the High Court directed the prison authorities to provide the post-mortem reports of the deaths of these 13 BNP leaders and activists, and to maintain a diary in accordance with prison regulations whenever someone falls ill or dies in prison.

Earlier on 11 February, a writ was filed by BNP's Legal Affairs Secretary Kaiser Kamal, requesting the formation of a committee involving internationally recognised human rights activists to investigate the deaths of the 13 BNP leaders and activists and to submit the investigation report to the court.