Outcry in Bangladesh after photos show ex-minister handcuffed to hospital bed before death
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Dhaka: The circulation of images showing former Bangladesh Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun handcuffed to a hospital bed before his death has sparked widespread outrage and condemnation from rights activists and legal experts.
Humayun, a senior Awami League leader and former lawmaker, had been held at Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj. He was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in critical condition and died on 29 September. After his death, photos of him restrained to the bed surfaced on social media, drawing sharp criticism.
Prison officials claimed the pictures were taken earlier during his hospitalization, but rights defenders and lawyers called the act a serious violation of human dignity.
“Keeping handcuffs on a dying or deceased person is inhuman and a stark violation of human rights. This will remain as an example of the most extreme breach of dignity,” human rights activist Nur Khan Liton told The Business Standard.
The incident has revived debate over a 2018 High Court ruling on a petition by the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), which directed authorities to restrict the indiscriminate use of handcuffs and show restraint in such cases.
Advocate Abu Obyaidur Rahman, who represented BLAST, described the images as a “clear breach” of that order. “How can a 75-year-old sick man be considered a dangerous or escape-prone prisoner?” he asked.
Rights activist Abu Ahmed Faijul Kabir called the treatment of Humayun a “grave failure of the state”, while Supreme Court lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua said it breached Article 27 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality before law and equal access to healthcare.
“This selective application of law is unacceptable. Justice must be equal for all. To see an elderly, ailing man treated in this way reflects the persistence of authoritarian practices,” Barua said.
The incident comes amid a crackdown by the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government on Awami League leaders and activists following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. Many opposition figures have since been jailed on what critics allege are fabricated charges, with several reported to have died in custody.