AKLAKUR RAHMAN AKASH, Savar

Md Suman, 17, from Ranabhola under Turag Police Station, had been missing since he left home on June 22. Around 11:00pm on June 26, police recovered his body from the Turag River, about half a kilometre from the boat terminal near Ashulia Gorur Haat.

According to Suman’s family, he had taken part in an Awami League procession on the day he went missing. They alleged that he jumped into the river from a boat while fleeing a police chase.

Speaking to The Daily Star, Suman’s maternal uncle, Jewel Babu, said, “Suman worked at a wholesale vegetable market. We had no idea he was involved in Awami League politics. He left home around 11:00am on June 22 and had been missing since. Later, we learnt that he had travelled by boat to join an Awami League procession in Ashulia’s Rustampur. From there, they all travelled in the same boat to the terminal near Ashulia Gorur Haat.”

As soon as they arrived, police chased them and arrested seven people. The others fled in different directions -- some swam across while some fled through nearby bushes. “Suman jumped into the river and went missing,” Babu said, citing some of those who escaped the police chase.

“We searched for him in the river but could not find him. Then on Friday night, police informed us that a body had been recovered from the river. We went to the scene and identified Suman from documents kept inside his wallet.

“The body was later taken to Ashulia Police Station. Police told us that an unnatural death case had to be filed before the body could be handed over. We did not want any trouble, so we filed the case. After the post-mortem, the body was handed over to us,” he added.

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