Ex-Bangladesh Minister Ramesh Chandra Sen dies in jail, sparks fresh concerns over custodial deaths

Dhaka: Former Bangladesh Minister and senior Awami League leader Ramesh Chandra Sen died on Saturday after reportedly falling ill while in police custody at Dinajpur District Jail, according to local media reports citing official sources.

The incident has added to the growing number of reported custodial deaths involving Awami League leaders and supporters in Bangladesh prisons, intensifying allegations of political repression and targeted actions under the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus.

Sen, who previously served as the Water Resources Minister and represented the Thakurgaon-1 (Sadar upazila) constituency as a Member of Parliament, was pronounced dead at 9:29 a.m. on Saturday by doctors at the emergency department of Dinajpur Medical College Hospital.

According to a report by leading Bangladeshi daily The Dhaka Tribune, he fell ill early in the morning and was rushed from Dinajpur District Jail to the hospital at approximately 9:10 a.m.

Sources within the jail administration informed The Dhaka Tribune that Sen had been arrested on August 16 last year and was subsequently shifted to Dinajpur District Jail.

He was reportedly facing three separate cases, including one related to murder. Jail officials stated that after his health deteriorated on Saturday morning, he was immediately taken to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital, where the attending physician declared him dead.

Confirming the development, Dinajpur District Jail Superintendent Farhad Sarkar stated that the body would be handed over to the deceased leader’s family once all legal formalities and procedures were completed.

Ramesh Chandra Sen was born on April 30, 1940, in Kashalgaon village under Ruhia Union of Sadar upazila in Thakurgaon district. He was the son of Kshitindra Mohan Sen and Balashwari Sen. He completed his higher education at Rangpur Carmichael College before entering public life and politics.

During his political career, Sen was elected to the Bangladesh Parliament five times. Most recently, he secured a parliamentary seat in 2024 after receiving a nomination from the Bangladesh Awami League, which was later barred from political activities.

Apart from his ministerial responsibilities, Sen also held the position of praesidium member within the party, reflecting his seniority and influence in the Awami League’s organisational structure.

His parliamentary tenure came to an abrupt end following the fall of the Awami League government in 2024 amid a large-scale student and public uprising.

Subsequently, President Mohammad Sahabuddin dissolved the National Parliament, which resulted in Sen losing his parliamentary membership along with several other Awami League lawmakers.

The death of the veteran leader has once again triggered concerns regarding alleged arbitrary detentions, custodial deaths and reported targeting of Awami League members and supporters since the change in political leadership in the country.

Several rights groups and activists have demanded impartial and transparent investigations into such incidents to determine responsibility and ensure adherence to legal and constitutional safeguards.

Activists have stressed that independent probes into custodial deaths are essential to uphold accountability and reinforce public confidence in the justice system, as concerns continue to mount over the treatment of political detainees in Bangladesh.