A 48-year-old man arrested in connection with the April 5 violence in Saltha upazila of Faridpur, died in police custody on Saturday morning.   The deceased was identified as Abul Hossain Molla, 48. While the district police claimed that Adul died of a stroke, his family members attributed his death to torture by cops. Faridpur Sadar Hospital’s in-charge Dr Tofazzal Hossain said, "Police brought the body of Abul Hossain to the medical facility around 6am. The cause of his death can be confirmed only after an autopsy." Also read: 1 dead, 20 injured in Faridpur violence: Police Super Faridpur police superintendent Md. Alimujjaman said, “Abul Hossain was found lying on the bathroom floor around 5.30am. We suspect he died of a stroke." A four-member probe panel has been formed to investigate the death, he said. "The committee has been asked to submit a report within 24 hours." Abul's daughter Taniya Aktar, however, claimed that his father was innocent. "He wasn’t involved in any village politics. We demand a free and fair investigation and justice for my father's death." Abul Hossain was arrested on April 16 for his alleged involvement in the violent clashes with police on April 5. On April 28, the court of Faridpur judicial magistrate Faruk Hossain allowed a police plea to take Abul in their custody for five days for interrogation. Also read: 8 held, 4k booked over Faridpur violence On April 5, rumours of killing and arrests triggered the clashes between police and locals in Saltha on the first day of lockdown. The violence saw thousands of people vandalising and torching government establishments. Few offices and houses of government officials were set on fire by locals during the mayhem that continued from 8 pm to 11 pm that night. The violence left a young man dead and 20 people, including eight policemen, injured.

Police on Monday night arrested former chairman of Faridpur’s Saltha upazila Md. Wahiduzzaman in connection to violence and sabotage in Saltha on the first day of lockdown. On information, a team of Detective Branch (DB) police arrested him from Jhiltuli area of the district. Police handed over Wahiduzzaman to the district chief judicial magistrate's court on Tuesday afternoon and asked for a 10-day remand. Also read: Faridpur violence: Fearing arrest, most Saltha men flee their villages Faridpur DB police officer-in-charge Sunil Karmakar said seven accused arrested in connection with the sabotage in Saltha had given confessional statements in court. Wahiduzzaman's name came up in the statement and he was arrested, he added. So far, seven cases have been filed in Saltha police station with 364 people accused in those. Also read: 8 held, 4k booked over Faridpur violence Another unidentified 4000 persons have been shown accused. As many as 99 people have been arrested till Tuesday. Operations are being run to arrest the other accused in the cases. Also read: 1 dead, 20 injured in Faridpur violence: Police Super On the night of April 5, thousands of agitated people over rumour attacked different government offices of Saltha Upazila Parishad. They set fire to several motorcycles and two government vehicles.

An uneasy calm prevails in 70 villages of Faridpur's Saltha as almost all the men have gone into hiding following cases filed in connection with the April 5 violence in the area. Tensions are running high as the police have been carrying out drives to arrest people involved in the attacks on different government offices and infrastructures. Those who were involved in the incident have fled to escape arrest. The ones who had nothing to do with the incident are also running away to avoid harassment. Five cases have been filed so far over the violence in Saltha. Names of 261 suspects have been mentioned in the cases with 16,800 anonymous accused. Also read: Faridpur violence: 4 more cases filed The villages of Saltha are as silent as the grave now. As there are no men in the villages, crops of thousands of hectares of land remain unharvested and are being allowed to rot in the fields. Women of different villages were seen selling daily necessities including onions and jute at Saltha Bazar on Sunday morning. Also, some homemakers came to do their grocery shopping. Salma Begum, who came to sell onions at the market, said: "There are no male members in the house. Everyone has fled the house since that incident." Only women and children were seen in 70 of 109 villages of Saltha. Also read: 8 held, 4k booked over Faridpur violence Hashi Begum, a local, said: "I am feeling scared all the time. I'm living with the fear of a police raid all day long. There are no men in the house. Everyone is fleeing to avoid arrest."

Four more cases were filed on Thursday over the violence in Faridpur’s Saltha on April 5. In the five cases filed so far, 17,000 people have been accused. Police arrested 26 suspects until Thursday. Names of 261 suspects have been mentioned in the cases with 16,800 anonymous accused. Also read: 8 held, 4k booked over Faridpur violence Freedom fighter Bachchu Matubbor filed one of the four cases. It mentioned the names of 25 men and accuses 800 others. Another case was filed by UNO’s driver Md Hashmot Ali. It names 58 men and accuses another 3,000-4,000 others who have not been named. Another one was filed by the security guard of the assistant commissioner of land. It named 48 men and accused 3,000-4,000 others without naming them. Also read: 1 dead, 20 injured in Faridpur violence: Police Super The fourth case was filed by AC Land’s driver Md Sagor Sikder naming 42 suspects and another 3,000-4,000 unnamed accused. Sub-Inspector Mizanur Rahman of Saltha Police Station filed the first case on Wednesday naming 88 accused and another 4,000 anonymous people. They have been charged with attacking and obstructing government work. Faridpur’s Additional Superintendent of Police Jamal Pasha said they have so far arrested 26 suspects over Saltha violence. Also read: Upazila parishad, police station vandalised in Faridpur The court on Wednesday granted police two days to interrogate 11 of the suspects. Police have sought seven days to interrogate each of the 15 accused. Two men were killed and 20 others, including eight members of law enforcement agencies, were injured in the April 5 violence in Saltha. Rumours of killing and arrests triggered violence that saw thousands of people vandalising and torching government establishments.