Manna being denied treatment

Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna is being denied proper treatment by the jail authorities while his condition has deteriorated due to physical and mental torture following his arrest, alleged his wife Meher Nigar yesterday.

Manna is yet to undergo an MRI scan as advised by doctors, she told The Daily Star, adding, "My husband has been suffering from different ailments including heart disease and back pain. There are three blocks in his heart.

"But the authorities yesterday shifted him to Dhaka Central Jail without completing his treatment...Even the authorities did not inform us beforehand," she added.

Alerted by one of his aides, they rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) but police officials refused to provide information, let alone allow talking to him, she claimed.

Abdul Wadud, chairman of DMCH's cardiology department, said Manna could be shifted to jail for they advised arranging an MRI scan and consulting a neurology expert within two or three days.

Police have been rejecting the torture and information refusal allegations.

At a press conference in Nagorik Oikya's central office in the capital earlier in the day, Meher said Manna's innocence could be proven if he gets a fair and impartial trial.

"Manna has full respect for the laws of the country and he is ready to face allegations brought against him legally," she said.

Manna was admitted to DMCH on March 10 after complaining of chest pains during a 10-day remand, granted in two phases.

Family members claim some plainclothes men, introducing themselves as Detective Branch (DB) officials, picked Manna up from the capital's Banani on February 24 around 3:30am.

Police officials said it was over 20 hours later that Rapid Action Battalion arrested and handed him over to DB in a case filed with Gulshan Police Station for "trying to instigate revolt by the armed forces".

The arrest came a day after his phone conversations with BNP leader Sadeque Hossain Khoka and an unnamed person surfaced in the media after being leaked.

In one conversation, Manna was heard talking to Khoka about strengthening the anti-government movement, among other issues.