Bangladesh Awami League President and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has strongly condemned the alleged killing of Advocate Zakir Hossain Nawab, Organizational Secretary of Bogura District Awami League, inside Naogaon District Jail on Tuesday.
In a statement, Hasina said Nawab was subjected to severe physical and mental torture and killed in custody. She described the incident as a “heinous murder” and expressed sharp condemnation and protest.
According to the statement, Nawab was first attacked in a mob incident in the Basundhara area of the capital on the night of June 20, 2025. While already ill from the assault, he was handed over to police. He was then shown arrested in a case under the Explosive Substances Act, which the statement calls false, and subjected to further torture. Despite his condition, he was not given medical treatment and was sent to jail the next day.
He was later transferred from Dhaka to Bogura Jail and then to Naogaon District Jail, where he faced repeated physical abuse. The party claims he remained in detention without trial for nearly 17 months before his death.
The statement further alleges that since August 5, 2024, numerous Awami League leaders and activists have been systematically killed either inside prisons or in public through beatings, stabbings, and burnings.
It claims that at least 70 party leaders have been killed in jails so far, with the highest number occurring in Bogura District Jail.
It adds that Nawab was recently transferred to Naogaon Jail in an apparent attempt to shift responsibility away from Bogura Jail. The statement also says that many unidentified civilians continue to die in prisons daily and that media outlets have been unable to fully report the political identities of victims due to fear of the authorities.
Nawab, who was 58, previously served as president of Bogura District Chhatra League and founding general secretary of the district Volunteer League. Hasina described him as a committed organizer who worked for a non-communal Bangladesh and actively participated in democratic movements against terrorism, communalism, and military rule. She expressed gratitude for his contributions and said he would be remembered by the people of Bogura.
He is survived by his wife, one daughter, one son, and other family members and colleagues. Hasina conveyed deep condolences to the bereaved family and pledged the party’s support to them. She expressed confidence that the sacrifices of Nawab and others would not go in vain and that justice would eventually be delivered in Bangladesh.