Ramesh Chandra Sen, Bangladesh Ex-Minister And Awami League Leader, Dies In Custody Ahead Of Polls

Last Updated:February 08, 2026, 09:08 IST

Ramesh Chandra Sen, Bangladesh Awami League leader and ex-Minister, died in Dinajpur District Jail.

Bangladesh Awami League (BAL) leader and former Minister of Water Resources Ramesh Chandra Sen died Saturday morning while in custody at Dinajpur District Jail, officials and local reports confirmed, as cited by news agency ANI.

Sen, 83, fell sick inside the jail early Saturday. He was then rushed to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead at around 9:29 A.M. (local time), according to Dinajpur jail authorities.

Jail Superintendent Farhad Sarkar said that Sen’s body will be handed over to his family once all legal formalities are completed, as quoted by the outlet.

Sen’s demise, ahead of the crucial Parliamentary Elections in the country dated February 12, has put the interim government under renewed scrutiny over the treatment of politicians under custody.

Who Was Ramesh Chandra Sen?

A seasoned politician, Ramesh Chandra Sen was born on 30 April 1940 in Ruhia Union of Thakurgaon Sadar Upazila. He represented the Thakurgaon-1 constituency in the Jatiya Sangsad several times.

Sen also served as a presidium member of the Awami League. He was detained on August 16, 2024, amid the political unrest in the country that led to a mass uprising against the Sheikh Hasina-led government. He was facing three cases including a murder charge tied to the political upheavel.

BAL Condems Incident 

The Bangladesh Awami League (BAL) has condemned the death of its leader, Ramesh Chandra Sen, alleging that the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government has been targeting the Awami leaders and activists by “directly and indirectly instigating violence or by using the state machinery".

“Bangladesh Awami League President and Honorable Prime Minister, Bangabandhu’s daughter, public leader Deshratna Sheikh Hasina, has issued a statement strongly condemning and protesting the killing of Ramesh Chandra Sen—member of the Bangladesh Awami League Advisory Council, former Presidium member, former Minister and Member of Parliament—inside prison custody by the illegal occupying, murderous-fascist Yunus clique", an official  statement read.

“In the statement, she said that the illegal occupying, murderous-fascist Yunus group has been continuing to kill Awami League leaders and activists by directly and indirectly instigating violence or by using the state machinery. In a planned manner, they have stripped Awami League leaders, activists, and supporters of their civil rights. They are not only turning them into stateless citizens, but are also carrying out uninterrupted killings one after another. Children, the young, the elderly—women and men alike—are all falling victim to these indiscriminate killings. The killing of Mr. Ramesh Chandra Sen is part of this very continuity. I strongly condemn and protest this murder. At the same time, I call upon the conscience of the world to take note of the hellish state terror being unleashed, with state patronage, against the leaders and activists of the Awami League—an historic and tradition-rich political party", it added.

News world Ramesh Chandra Sen, Bangladesh Ex-Minister And Awami League Leader, Dies In Custody Ahead Of Polls

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