‘Khatia Michil’ hosted in capital protesting Mushtaq’s death 

A group of activists under the banner of 'People of Bangladesh' staged a Khatia Michil (cot procession) in Dhaka University area to protest against all the forced disappearances and murders including deceased writer Mushtaq Ahmed. 

The cot procession started from TSC around 3.30pm, passed through Shahbag and turned to Continental Hotel and came to TSC again.

The protesters took a position in front of Raju Memorial Sculpture where some of them voiced against the Digital Security Act. 

They condemned the government and said a writer has been tortured to death by the state in jail. "The people of Bangladesh are not afraid today," said one of them. 

"Everyone has taken it to the street to realise their demands." They also noted that 'the more the oppression of the people increases, the sooner this government will fall'. 

Moulik Bangla President Farid Ahmed and its members Adu Mostafa and Shimul Ahmed spoke before the procession.

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested cartoonist Ahmed Kabir Kishore and writer Mushtaq Ahmed from Kakrail and Lalmatia on 5 May under the Digital Security Act for posting anti-government posts on Facebook.

The case statement read that the accused published various posts conveying misinformation and rumours on the Facebook page called 'I am Bangladeshi' to tarnish the image or reputation of the state or to spread confusion. Which creates confusion among the people and degrades the law and order situation in the country.

Although two people were released on bail in that case, the bail applications of Mushtaq and Kishore were rejected six times.

According to the prison authorities, Mushtaq fell sick inside the high security prison at 7:10pm on Thursday. At first, he was taken to the jail hospital. Later he was sent to Gazipur Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Medical College Hospital where the on-duty doctor declared him dead at around 8:20pm.