An autopsy found nothing abnormal in the death of BNP leader Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu who died of “cardiac arrest" on Sunday.

The jail authorities yesterday formed a three-member committee to probe his death. The committee, headed by DIG (prisons) Golam Haider of Dhaka Central Jail, has been asked to submit its report to the authorities by May 7.

The 48-year-old was "brought dead" to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital from Rajshahi Central Jail. He was serving life-term for his involvement in the BDR carnage in Pilkhana on February 25-26, 2009, which left 57 army officers killed.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and Pintu's family members alleged that it was a pre-planned murder by the government. The allegation, however, was refuted by the state minister for home and the jail authorities.

Kafil Uddin, associate professor at the forensic medicine department of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, said they found nothing abnormal in the deceased's body.

For an in-depth look into his death, the forensic medicine department collected viscera and sent those to Dhaka for forensic examination, added Kafil.

Meanwhile, an unnatural death case was filed with Rajpara Police Station yesterday in this connection, said Mehedi Hasan, officer-in-charge at the police station in Rajshahi. LAID TO REST

Pintu was buried yesterday in his father’s grave at Azimpur Graveyard in the capital after a third namaz-e-janaza at the playground of the Institute of Leather and Technology after Asr prayers.

Earlier in the morning, Khaleda and hundreds of BNP men paid their last tributes to the party leader placing wreaths on his coffin in front of the BNP central office at Nayapaltan.

After placing wreaths, a tearful Khaleda stood in solemn silence beside the coffin. Having a last glimpse of the deceased, she covered the coffin with her party flag and offered munajat for the salvation of the departed soul.

A namaj-e-janaza of the former Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal president was held there. Apart from BNP men, some leaders of the components of the 20-party alliance also attended the janaza ceremony.

Talking to reporters before the namaj-e-janaza, BNP National Standing Committee Member Moudud Ahmed said, “This death is unexpected to us. Pintu was not only an emerging leader, but also an active organiser. His untimely demise is tragic for us."

From Nayapaltan, Pintu's body was taken to his Hazaribagh residence.

Pintu was a ward-level leader and assumed the helm of JCD within a short time. He had earned the trust of the BNP chief and her son Tarique Rahman. He was elected MP from Hazaribagh-Lalbagh in 2001 when he was the president of JCD at the age of 34.

On Sunday night, Pintu's brother Nasim Ahmed Rintu received the body from the jail authorities in Rajshahi. His first namaj-e-janaza was held on the Hetemkhan Baro Mosque premises.

Our Rajshahi correspondent contributed to this report.