Ramesh Chandra Sen, who served as a senior Awami League member and became a key political figure in Bangladesh, died on Saturday morning while being held at Dinajpur District Jail.
The 85-year-old former Water Resources Minister became ill during the night, and emergency medical services took him to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead at 9:29 am. The current political crisis reaches its peak right before the national election, which will take place on February 12, 2026.
The death of Sen, who served as a long-time Thakurgaon-1 constituency representative, has led to a major discussion about how elderly political prisoners receive humanitarian assistance and medical treatment under the present temporary government.
Political Legacy and Parliamentary Influence
Ramesh Chandra Sen functioned as a principal leader of the Awami League through his membership in its highest decision-making body.
He entered the world in April 1940, and throughout his extensive professional journey, he reached the distinction of serving as a Member of Parliament five times. His most critical role emerged during his tenure as Water Resources Minister from 2009 to 2014, when he managed vital international water issues and built necessary water system facilities.
Sen ran for election in the 2024 general elections because of his advanced age, but he won his seat yet again before the August 2024 political crisis, which resulted in the Jatiya Sangsad dissolution and his party’s ban from the 2026 elections.
Legal Challenges and Custodial Scrutiny
The conditions that led to Sen’s detention developed from the unstable situation that emerged after the mass uprising that succeeded in overthrowing Sheikh Hasina’s government.
The authorities arrested Sen on August 16, 2024, in Thakurgaon because they accused him of multiple serious crimes, which included murder connected to the civil unrest.
The court required him to move from the local jail to the Dinajpur District facility, where he stayed as a “division prisoner” because of his previous ministerial position.
His death in custody has now become a focal point for international human rights observers, as critics argue that his deteriorating health, compounded by old-age ailments, required more specialized medical attention than what was available within the prison system.
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