United News of Bangladesh

A leader of banned Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) was denied parole following the death of his father in Barishal on Wednesday, forcing family members to take the body to the jail gate for a final father-son meeting.  Ahsan Shah Rukh, president of Ward No. 15 unit of the BCL in Barishal city, is currently in jail after being arrested earlier this month. His father Abul Bashar died around 11:30am on Wednesday. Awami League activists stage sudden protest in Barishal As parole was not granted, relatives carried Bashar’s body to the Barishal jail gate, where Shah Rukh was allowed to see his father for the last time. Family members and Shah Rukh’s friend Al Amin said this was the third time he had been arrested. They alleged that the family sought parole from the Deputy Commissioner’s office, but it was not granted. “When we managed to meet the Additional Deputy Commissioner after waiting for one hour, we were told parole would not be possible and that he could only meet at the jail gate,” Al Amin said. He also alleged that only three people were allowed to accompany the body to the jail gate. Advocate Md Mizanur Rahman Mintu, who filed the parole application, said they had formally applied for temporary release, but the Additional Deputy Commissioner informed them that parole could not be granted and suggested arranging the meeting at the jail gate instead. Several videos of the emotional encounter later went viral on social media. Attempts to reach Deputy Commissioner Md Khairul Alam Shumon for comment were unsuccessful as he did not receive calls. However, Additional District Magistrate Upoma Farisa said the parole application had been submitted to the Deputy Commissioner. “I informed the DC of the matter and sent him the application via WhatsApp as he was outside the office. He decided that the meeting would take place at the jail gate instead of granting parole. I later informed the family of that decision,” she said.