Police recovered the body of an accused, Mahfuz Alam, who was on two-day remand in police custody, from the toilet of Nachol Thana in Chapainawabganj district on Wednesday.
The law enforcement claimed that the accused committed suicide while his family members alleged that police torture led to his death.
The superintendent of police formed a three-member committee, headed by additional superintendent of police, to investigate the incident.
The case statement said physician Mahfuz Alam was arrested on 20 July in a case filed over the death of a patient.
Later, police came to know that Mahfuz was a fake physician with a forged MBBS certificate of Sirajganj’s Tarash upazila health officer Masud Rana.
Nachol Thana officer-in-charge (OC) Anwar Hossain said to Prothom Alo, “Mahfuz hanged himself inside the toilet.”
He further said: “A constable noticed Mahfuz was taking long time in the toilet. So he went up to the toilet and called him but there was no response. Then he informed this to the OC.”
Police, along with upazila parishad chairman Abdul Qader, UNO Najmul Haq, Nachol municipality mayor Abdur Rashid Khan, upazila health officer Shafiqul Islam and local journalists, broke into the toilet at around 3pm and recovered the hanging body, he added.
OC Anwar Hossain also said they sent the body to Chapainawabganj sadar hospital for autopsy.
Alleging that police staged the suicide drama, Mahfuz Alam’s elder brother Shahinul Islam said he would file a lawsuit in this connection.
Earlier on 17 July, a class-VII student Nahida Khatun, daughter of Nasir Uddin from village Baipur in Nachol, was admitted to Janani Clinic for stomach ache.
Physician Mahfuz Alam talked to operate on her as he diagnosed her with appendicitis pain. Later in that night, he operated on Nahida.
On 19 July, Nahida was shifted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital after her condition had deteriorated. RMCH physician declared her dead.
On the next day, Nasir Uddin filed a case against Mahfuz Alam and a few other unnamed persons.