Mushtaq Ahmed (Bengali: মুশতাক আহমেদ; 5 December 1967[citation needed] – 25 February 2021), popularly known as Kumir Bhai, was a Bangladeshi dissident,[1] writer, and entrepreneur.
[7] He was accused with 10 others of sharing cartoons in social media posts criticizing the Bangladeshi government's corrupt and mismanaged response to COVID-19 pandemic and was detained in pre-trial for almost a year.
"[11] On 6 May 2020, around 1:00am, Rapid Action Battalion-3 arrested Ahmed from his home in Dhaka for criticising the Bangladesh government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in 10 Facebook posts and links.
[17] Six civilians, including security guards of houses and malls, peon and relatives, have been made witnesses of the case against Ahmed, but five of them told Prothom Alo that they didn't give any such testimony to the police.
[19][20][21] Mahfuz Anam, Editor and Publisher, The Daily Star, wrote, "writer Mushtaq was condemned and his punishment implemented without the minimum due process of law being available to him.
[12] After his death, in an interview with Prothom Alo, senior jail superintendent Md Gias Uddin said that Mushtaq Ahmed was very gentle and quiet.
The students were chanting "justice" near the Dhaka University campus[24] when police lashed out with batons and fired rubber bullets[32] and tear gas rounds.
[38] Responding to a query on Ahmed's death, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh - Sheikh Hasina, counter questioned, "What can be done if someone falls ill and dies?".
[41] United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet urged independent investigation into Ahmed's death and overhaul of Digital Security Act.
[45] "Ahmed's death has sent a chill through Bangladesh civil society and should force the government into ending this peremptory treatment of peaceful criticism," said Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch.
[15][46] Aliya Iftikhar, Committee to Protect Journalists's senior Asia researcher said, "Mushtaq Ahmed's death in a Bangladeshi prison, where he never should have been detained in the first place, is a devastating and unconscionable loss".
[47] The International Federation of Journalists general secretary, Anthony Bellanger, said, "We stand in solidarity with our colleagues in Bangladesh as they mourn the loss of Mushtaq Ahmed.