Gazi Sahlahuddin Tanvir a former joint member secretary of the National Citizen Party (NCP) has accused authorities of subjecting him to severe physical torture, forced medical injections and psychological abuse while in police custody and prison.
Speaking at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters Unity on Friday, Tanvir detailed his experiences following his August 5 arrest in Dhaka. The arrest stemmed from a Cyber Security Act case filed by a BNP local official over alleged defamatory Facebook posts concerning Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
Tanvir claimed he was administered 70 to 80 unidentified injections during his detention. He stated that after suffering persistent fever and physical tremors, a doctor administered a shot that left his right side paralyzed. A doctor at Shaheed Zia Medical College Hospital in Bogura later diagnosed him as having suffered a stroke, a finding he claims prison officials disputed.
Further alleging poor prison conditions Tanvir stated he was served rotten food, denied prescribed medication and subjected to an incomplete MRI procedure that left him temporarily paralyzed from the waist down and unconscious for 10 to 12 hours.
Tanvir also alleged that plainclothes individuals entered his prison transfer vehicle and physically assaulted him while referencing corporate and political figures. He further described being taken to a dark room for interrogation and claimed that certain high-profile inmates faced lenient confinement conditions.
According to Tanvir, the abuse continued until September 15, accompanied by threats against his family if he spoke publicly. He offered no documentary evidence to substantiate the claims made during the briefing. Police and prison authorities have yet to issue an official response.
