A Youth Dal activist named Shahidullah Russell, aged 41, died on Wednesday afternoon while receiving treatment under prison custody at Comilla Medical College Hospital. He had been arrested on May 10 from Shasanpara village in Lalmai upazila with 102 yaba pills and was sent to Comilla Central Jail the following day. Prison authorities stated that Russell had been suffering from pneumonia and other illnesses before his incarceration. After his condition worsened, he was transferred to the hospital on June 17, where he died around 3 p.m. The body was handed over to his family after autopsy.

Russell was a resident of Perul Uttar Union in Lalmai upazila and an active member of the local Youth Dal. His wife, Halima Akter, alleged that he had been falsely implicated in the drug case and denied proper care. Lalmai Upazila BNP General Secretary Yusuf Ali Mir Pintu described Russell as a dedicated party worker and called for an investigation into any irregularities or conspiracy surrounding his arrest and death.

Authorities have not yet announced any formal inquiry into the circumstances of his death.