Seven murder convict alleges jail assault, authority denies

Death-row convict and former lieutenant colonel (dismissed) Tareq Sayeed Mohammad has been transferred from Munshiganj District Jail to Kishoreganj District Jail following disciplinary action over alleged violations of prison rules, amid separate allegations from his family that he was assaulted by jail guards.

Tareq Sayeed, who was sentenced to death in the Narayanganj seven-murder case, was punished with a one-month suspension of all forms of communication, including telephone calls and family visits, according to the Munshiganj jail authorities.

His family, however, has alleged that he was severely beaten inside Munshiganj District Jail on the night of 16 September.

According to the family’s allegation, at least five jail guards assaulted Tareq with sticks after the electricity supply in the jail was switched off. They claimed the incident took place on the instruction of jail superintendent Jannat-ul-Farhad and that Tareq sustained injuries to his head and other parts of his body.

The allegations have not been independently verified, and the jail superintendent has denied that any such assault took place.

Responding to the torture allegation circulating on social media, Jannat-ul-Farhad denied that Tareq had been beaten by four or five jail guards. He alleged that the claim was being made by Tareq or his relatives in retaliation for the disciplinary measures.

The conflicting accounts could not be independently reconciled from the information available.

Tareq Sayeed Mohammad remains a death-row convict in the Narayanganj seven-murder case. He is also an accused facing trial in two separate cases before the International Crimes Tribunal.

Jail sources said the dispute followed an incident involving another death-row inmate who allegedly threw dirty water at the superintendent during an inspection.

Tareq’s family has further alleged that the assault may have been linked to Major General Ziaul Ahsan, another former military officer who is currently in custody as an accused in a crimes-against-humanity case. The family claimed Tareq had expressed an intention to disclose information concerning Ziaul Ahsan.

There is no independent evidence presented in the account establishing Ziaul Ahsan’s involvement in any alleged assault, and the claim remains an allegation made by Tareq’s family.

Tareq has previously made allegations concerning Ziaul Ahsan in connection with the Narayanganj seven-murder case and claimed that he had been framed. Those claims are disputed and have not been established in the account provided.

Family members said Tareq’s mother, Dilwara Begum, informed the jail authorities in writing about the alleged assault. They also said an application was submitted to the Munshiganj civil surgeon seeking advanced medical treatment for him.

Munshiganj District Jail superintendent Jannat-ul-Farhad confirmed that Tareq had been transferred to Kishoreganj District Jail.

He said Tareq was brought to Munshiganj from Narayanganj District Jail on 5 January for administrative reasons.

According to the superintendent, Tareq repeatedly violated jail discipline, behaved disrespectfully towards prison officials and attempted to act outside established prison rules.

He alleged that during an inspection on 2 September, Tareq behaved improperly and asked him to leave the cell area. Following a complaint, Tareq was punished under jail regulations with a one-month suspension of family visits.

The superintendent said another incident occurred on 16 September during a weekly inspection, when death-row inmate Md Kamal Hossain allegedly threw dirty water kept inside the cell towards him.

According to the jail authorities, disciplinary action was subsequently taken against both inmates. Kamal Hossain was given one month in leg irons and transferred to another prison, while Tareq was barred for one month from telephone calls, family visits and other forms of contact.

The superintendent described Tareq’s conduct as unruly and said prison officials had taken action strictly under jail rules.