National Citizen Party Convener Nahid Islam has demanded an explanation from the government over allegations that former NCP leader Gazi Salahuddin Tanvir was tortured and injected with unknown substances while in custody.

In a statement posted on his verified Facebook page, Nahid said he and NCP Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary visited Tanvir in hospital and were “deeply distressed and shocked” by his physical condition.

“The brutal torture inflicted on him is extremely concerning,” Nahid alleged.

He said Tanvir had already faced organisational action from the NCP over his controversial Facebook post about Prime Minister Tarique Rahman but was subsequently arrested in a case filed by a BNP leader.

Tanvir, then an NCP joint member secretary, was suspended from his organisational duties on July 31 over the post. A Bogura BNP leader filed a case against him on August 2, accusing him of making defamatory and provocative remarks about the prime minister. He was arrested in Dhaka on August 5. 

Nahid alleged that Tanvir was denied his legal rights following the arrest and taken on remand instead of being granted bail.

“During remand, an unknown substance was injected into his body, and he was physically tortured,” Nahid wrote. “As a result, the lower part of his body became numb.”

He said Tanvir’s lawyer reported that he suffered a stroke on August 15 and was subsequently taken first to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital in Bogura and later transferred to Dhaka for treatment.

Tanvir’s lawyer, Ejaz Al Wasi, has separately said that Tanvir suffered a stroke on August 15 and was experiencing several medical complications. Tanvir was granted one-year bail by the High Court on September 9 and released from Dhaka Central Jail on September 15 before being taken to the National Institute of Neurosciences Hospital. 

Nahid said criminal allegations should be investigated and anyone found guilty should face punishment under the law, but allegations of unexplained medical procedures in state custody required answers.

“What medical treatment was he given while on remand? If he was given an injection, what was it? Who administered it? Why was it administered?” Nahid asked.

He also demanded disclosure of Tanvir’s medical records and an account of his physical condition before and after remand.

Nahid compared the allegations with custodial abuses under the ousted Awami League government and accused the current government of repeating practices the post-2024 political transition was supposed to end.

His statement came the same day he publicly criticised the government over its handling of Tanvir’s case, telling an NCP demonstration outside parliament that offensive comments about the prime minister should not be treated as terrorism. 

Nahid also linked the Tanvir case to the NCP’s demand for an independent and stronger National Human Rights Commission.

He called for amendments to the law governing the commission to give it greater independence and authority to investigate alleged human-rights violations.

The allegations that Tanvir was tortured or injected with unknown substances in custody have not been independently established.

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