Dhaka, Oct. 29 -- At Dhaka's central prison, a man with a history of heart disease and diabetes felt severe chest pain. By the time guards brought him to hospital, three hours after his family was told he was ill, doctors could do nothing.

Rafiqul Islam, 59, worked as a security guard at a bank ATM booth in Dhaka's Malibagh. Arrested in March in a case involving violence against women and children, he had been held at Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj.

He had undergone five or six operations, including surgery for a brain tumour, and needed regular medical care, his son Siraj Hossain told bdnews24.com.

"Father was physically ill, and sometimes he had chest pain," Siraj said. "He had to see a doctor regularly and was on medication."

Raf...