Doctor and staff sent to jail over death of rickshaw puller during protests

A Dhaka court has ordered the detention of a doctor and four other hospital staff members in connection with the death of rickshaw puller Md. Ismail. 

The 46-year-old was shot during the anti-discrimination student protests, which were unfolding near the Delta Healthcare Hospital in Rampura.

Sub-Inspector Hiron Molla, the investigating officer from Hatirjheel Police Station, appeared before the court on Saturday. 

He requested that the accused be detained while the case is investigated further. Lawyers representing the five individuals—Medical Officer Dr. Sadi Bin Shams, Marketing Officer Hasan Mia, Maintenance Officer Borhan Uddin, and two security guards, Ismail and Nazim Uddin—pleaded for bail on their behalf.

However, after reviewing the arguments, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Masuma Rahman rejected the bail applications, ordering that all five be kept in custody.

According to Sub-Inspector Molla’s statement, the victim, Md. Ismail, was shot by the police on July 19, sometime between 3:30 pm and 5:30 pm, while protests were ongoing. 

He was discovered lying on the steps of Delta Healthcare Hospital with a gunshot wound. Despite being taken into the hospital, he received no treatment and later died from his injuries. 

The investigating officer claimed that the five accused were present at the hospital at the time but neglected to provide any form of emergency care.

Preliminary findings from the investigation suggest that their negligence played a role in Ismail’s death.

The tragic incident caught national attention after a photo of Ismail lying wounded outside the hospital went viral on social media. 

Many expressed their outrage and sympathy by sharing the image, which eventually caught the eye of law enforcement authorities. 

This led to a police raid at Delta Healthcare Hospital last Friday, during which the five accused were arrested.

On July 19, during the peak of the student-led anti-discrimination protests, Md. Ismail was shot by the police in what would become one of the more heartbreaking moments of the movement. 

The protests intensified, and following the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5, Ismail’s wife, Lucky Begum, filed a murder case with Hatirjheel Police Station, seeking justice for her husband’s death.

As the case unfolds, many are keeping a close eye on the legal proceedings, hoping for answers and accountability.