A 30-year-old law student died in custody four days after he was arrested by the Detective Branch of police in Barishal.
Family members of Rejaul Karim Reja said he died because of torture.
Reja died this morning at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) where he was being treated in police custody.
Director of the hospital Bakir Hossain said the young man died of excessive bleeding.
Grieving family members said Sub-inspector Mohiuddin Mahi of Detective Branch (DB) in Barishal beat up Reja, leading to his death.
Police, meanwhile, said the accused was a drug dealer and an addict and he died because of his addiction-related complications.
Reja's uncle Abdul Barek Hawlader said SI Mohiuddin arrested Reja around 8:00pm on December 29 at a roadside tea stall near his home on Hamid Khan Road of the city.
Reja was sent to Barisal Central Jail the next day, he said.
Superintendent of Barisal Central Jail Prashant Kumar Banik said, "After he [Reja] was brought to the jail on December 30, our doctor sent him to the prison hospital. The documents mentioned injuries to both ankles.
"On January 1, he started bleeding from his feet. He was then sent to the medical college hospital and his family was informed."
Reja's father Yunus Munshi said his son was in good health at the time of his arrest.
He added that jail authorities called him around 9:00pm on Friday and said that Reja was bleeding after he fell in the bathroom and was admitted to the hospital.
"We went to the hospital and found injuries on his legs, chest and neck. He was beaten up with sticks. He was losing blood with stool and urine," he said.
'Police tortured and killed my son, I want a fair investigation and justice,'' he added.
His neighbour Sujan also told The Daily Star that there were injury marks all over Reja's body.
DB Deputy Commissioner Manjur Hossain said Reja fell ill because of his addiction and police had not tortured him.
A three-member committee headed by a deputy commissioner of the metropolitan police was formed to investigate the matter.
Over a hundred locals of Sagordi area where SI Mohiuddin lives barricaded a street and threw brick chips at the officer's house yesterday evening.
