Sultana’s death in rab custody: Family won’t file case, looks to HC

The family of Sultana Jasmine, who died in Rab custody, said they would not go for any legal move seeking justice.

Her son or her sisters or brothers would not speak about the incident in public or talk to the press for at least six months, said Sultana's maternal uncle Nazmul Haque Montu yesterday.

"We didn't file any case and we don't want to lodge any."

Sultana, an office assistant of Naogaon's Chandipur union land office, died in the custody of Rab on March 24, two days after she was detained when she was on her way to work.

Her death triggered criticism from human rights groups and the High Court questioned under what authority Rab detained her when she was not accused in any case.

Meanwhile, Rab headquarters' enquiry cell yesterday called in 11 officials of Rab-5 to the battalion headquarters from its Joypurhat camp for questioning.

The officials include a major and an assistant superintendent of police, said Commander Khandaker Al Moin, director of legal and media wing of Rab.

The Daily Star correspondent talked to Montu in a parking garage in Naogaon town on Tuesday.

Montu said, "You will not hear a word from her [Sultana] son or any other family members other than me in six months. I'm unable to tell you the reason [behind this decision of not talking]. You must understand this.

"I heard that a proceeding began in the High Court. Our only hope of justice lies with the High Court proceedings."

Asked again yesterday evening, Montu said they were not even thinking about filing of any case.

Montu, who served 27 years as a ward councillor of Naogaon municipality, described their ordeal after Sultana's detention and events leading up to her death.

One of his friends witnessed Sultana being picked up around 10:00am on March 22 and told him.

Montu went to the local police station and the detective branch but failed to trace her until 1:45pm when Sultana's son called.

"A Rab man called Sultana's son using her mobile phone to inform him about her hospitalisation," he said.

Montu went to see her at the Naogaon hospital with one of Sultana's sisters and her husband, but they left after a while.

After 5:00pm that day, Montu received several calls from a Rab personnel who used Sultana's phone to ask him to visit the hospital again.

"I told the caller that we went to the hospital but we returned home due to bad behaviour of Rab men," Montu said.

"The caller apologised and insisted we visit the hospital."

Montu sent Sultana's brother-in-law to the hospital after iftar and on his arrival, Rab men took Sultana to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

The Naogaon hospital authorities earlier said they referred Sultana to a better hospital at 3:55pm on March 22, but she left the hospital for Rajshahi at 7:00pm.

Around midnight on March 22, Sultana's brother-in-law called Montu to say that Sultana was taken to the ICU of RMCH immediately on arrival.

He told Montu that doctors detected haemorrhages but wanted to observe her for 72 hours before a surgery.

Sultana was put on life support two hours before her death at 10:00am on March 24, Montu said.

He said, "During her treatment, Rab men kept family members [her sisters, a brother, a brother-in-law, and her son] in a hotel in Rajshahi city … but kept them under watch."

Sultana was detained based on a verbal complaint of her boss, he said, adding that she was watched over and chased like a criminal.

"It is unjust."