Awami League leader Ramesh Chandra Sen, 83, died in custody at Dinajpur District Jail, sparking debate over the treatment of political detainees in Bangladesh
Awami League Leader Ramesh Chandra Sen Dies in Bangladesh Jail (Source: X/@saddamhussainbd)
Bangladesh Politics: Senior Awami League politician and Bangladeshi politician Ramesh Chandra Sen died while in custody at Dinajpur District Jail on Saturday morning. The politician was 83 years old at the time of death. The death has come with sharp criticisms concerning the treatment of politicians who have been taken into custody.
Bangladesh: Senior Awami League politician and Bangladeshi politician Ramesh Chandra Sen died while in custody at Dinajpur District Jail, according to reports, on Saturday morning. The politician was 83 years old at the time of death. The death has come with sharp criticisms concerning the treatment of politicians who have been taken into custody.
Ramesh Chandra Sen was immediately taken to the Dinajpur Medical College Hospital after falling unwell in the early hours of Saturday in the prison. Ramesh Chandra Sen was pronounced dead around 9:29 am. His body will be handed over to his family once all legal and administrative formalities are over.
Ramesh Chandra Sen had been detained since August 16, 2024, as he was arrested by the police at Thakurgaon. Later, he was kept at the District Jail at Dinajpur.
At the time of his death, he was facing three criminal cases, of which he had been charged with murder. The incident was reported related to political violence allegedly after unrest broke out following a mass uprising against the government of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Ramesh Chandra Sen's death, thus, comes only days before Bangladesh's general election, scheduled for February 12, 2026, adding to the political sensitivity surrounding the incident.
Opposition parties and human rights organisations have accused authorities of custodial negligence. They have demanded an independent inquiry, especially into prison medical care and the treatment of political detainees.
Rights groups said Sen's death underlines the bigger issues with jail conditions and access to timely healthcare for prisoners.
The death of former Water Resources Minister and veteran politician Ramesh Chandra Sen while in custody at Dinajpur District Jail has exposed another chilling truth: the state is using prisons as a silent weapon to eliminate political opponents.
— Bangladesh Awami League (@albd1971) February 8, 2026
The prison authorities have… pic.twitter.com/7YWLPWGxp3
Sen had won his parliamentary seat in the 2024 general election. However, the Awami League was later barred from political activity under the current interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
His death in jail has added to growing unease over how detained political figures are being treated during a highly sensitive period in Bangladesh’s political landscape.
