A Hindu musician and Awami League leader has died in jail in Bangladesh. Proloy Chaki (60) was a renowned musician who also served as the cultural secretary of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League Pabna wing. His family has alleged negligence and Awami League accused Bangaldesh Police of torturing Chaki in custody. However, the administration has denied allegations, calling it a natural death.
He was arrested by the police from his residence in Pathartala on December 16 in connection with a case related to an anti-discrimination movement. Proloy had been in Pabna District Jail since then. He was admitted to the hospital after falling ill while in custody. He died on Sunday night (January 11) while undergoing treatment at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.
Did the prominent musician and Awami League leader from the Padma region die due to police torture while in custody?
Chaki’s death comes at a time when the situation in poll-bound Bangladesh is tense following the death of prominent Bangladeshi student leader, political activist Sharif Osman Hadi, who was the founder of the Inquilab Moncho in December 2025. Following his death, a grip of a continuing wave of violence targeted at religious and ethnic minorities and political opponents in Bangladesh who are not aligned with the Islamists who have propped interim leader Muhammad Yunus’ regime.
Awami League claims Proloy Chaki was tortured in custody
Bangladesh police arrested the 60-year-old musician on August 4 last year in connection with an explosives case.
The administration claims that he was suffering from multiple illnesses, including heart disease and diabetes. When he fell ill inside the prison on Friday morning, he was admitted to Pabna District Hospital. Later, when his condition deteriorated, he was transferred to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. Chaki died there while undergoing treatment. Leaders of the Awami League, currently a banned party in Bangladesh, claim that the musician was tortured while in custody. On the other hand, Proloy Chaki’s family claims that he died due to negligence and lack of proper treatment in prison.
Proloy Chaki’s son, Sony Chaki, alleged that there was no case against his father. He was being harassed unnecessarily. Sony alleged that the family was not informed when his physical condition deteriorated in prison. He died due to a lack of proper treatment. However, Jail Superintendent Omar Farooq denied the allegations. He said that Proloy Chaki had been ill for a long time. He was given medication regularly. As soon as his health became serious, the musician was sent to the hospital for better treatment.
Who was Proloy Chaki?
Proloy Chaki was a popular musician and music director in the 1990s. He regularly directed music at the Banamali Shilpakala Kendra in Pabna. Md. Habibullah, the general secretary of the Banamali Shilpakala Kendra, said, “Beyond politics, Prolay Chaki was a dedicated cultural activist and artist. We are deeply saddened by his death.” Bhaskar Chowdhury, the secretary of the Pabna Sammilita Sanskritik Jote, said, “We cannot accept that he died this way. This death is truly painful.”
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