Musician, AL leader Proloy Chaki dies in jail custody

Proloy Chaki, a Pabna Awami League leader and a noted musician, died in hospital while in jail custody on Sunday night. He was 60.

 Chaki, who had been suffering from multiple ailments, suffered a cardiac arrest in Pabna jail and was taken to Pabna General Hospital on Friday, said jail Superintendent Md Omar Faruk. 

 As his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, where he died at around 9:00pm on Sunday.

 His body will be handed over to the family after completion of legal formalities, Faruk said yesterday.

Family members and well-wishers alleged negligence and inadequate medical treatment during his incarceration, claiming these led to his death.

 Chaki, a renowned singer of the 1990s, was a music director, teacher and cultural organiser. He served as cultural affairs secretary of the Pabna district AL and as secretary of Shree Shree Ram Krishna Shebashrom, Pabna. 

 He was arrested from his Dilalpur residence in Pabna town on December 16 last year and later shown arrested in a case linked to an explosion incident on August 4, 2024. He had remained in Pabna jail since then.

 His son, Sony Chaki, alleged that his father was arrested without any prior case and was denied proper medical care despite diabetes and heart disease.

 “My father’s condition became critical in jail, but the authorities did not officially inform us,” he alleged. “We rushed to the hospital after hearing from others, but he was not given proper treatment, which led to his death.”

 Denying the allegations, the jail superintendent said Chaki had severe diabetes and heart disease and was provided medication based on medical documents. “When his condition turned critical, he was taken to hospital to ensure better treatment,” he said.

 Chaki’s death has cast a pall over Pabna’s cultural circles.

“Proloy Chaki was a cultural activist and singer beyond his political identity. We cannot accept his death in this manner. It is a great loss for Pabna’s cultural sector,” said Bhaskar Chowdhury, secretary of the Pabna Sammilito Shangskritik Jote.

 Gopal Sanyal, former president of Pabna Drama Circle, now based in the United States, demanded a proper investigation into Chaki’s death in a Facebook post.