The photo of former industries minister and freedom fighter Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun in handcuffs that went viral after his death was not authentic, the jail authorities said on Wednesday.
Nurul Majid, a former Awami League lawmaker for the Narsingdi-4 constituency, died on Monday in jail custody while he was being treated in the Intensive Care Unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, according to a press release issued by the jail authorities.
He was buried on Tuesday at his village home in Monohardi of Narsingdi district.
The release said that the viral photo misrepresented his condition during his treatment in the ICU.
The release, however, did not describe the photo that went viral.
After the death of the former minister, several of his photos in handcuffs on a hospital bed went viral.
One photo showed Nurul Majid with a cannula placed below his left wrist and a handcuff above it. A saline tube was positioned above the handcuff, even after his death. Another photo showed him handcuffed to a hospital bed during treatment.
鈥楾his is misleading and false propaganda circulating on social media about the treatment of the former minister,鈥� the jail authorities said.
鈥楾he photo being shared does not reflect his condition in the ICU,鈥� it said.
The authorities urged responsible citizens and media outlets not to spread misleading information about a deceased person.
The release said that Nurul Majid was sent to the hospital several times during his imprisonment due to illness, following proper procedures.
He was admitted to the ICU of Dhaka Medical College Hospital on September 25 and remained there until his death on September 29, it said.
鈥榃e are committed to upholding the dignity of all prisoners,鈥� the statement said. 鈥楾here was no exception in this case.鈥�
Nurul Majid was arrested on September 24, 2024 at Gulshan in Dhaka, three weeks after the fall of the Awami League regime on August 5, 2024 amid a student-led mass uprising.
He was later sent to jail by a court in Narsingdi.
He was accused in the case of killing Sramik Dal leader Jahangir Alam, who was shot dead during the protests in Narsingdi on August 4, 2024.
On August 9, 2024, a murder case was filed against 127 people, including Nurul Majid.
Born in 1950, Nurul Majid, a senior leader of the Awami League, whose activities are now suspended, served as industries minister between 2019 and 2024.
