In Pabna’s Ishwardi, there were protests, human chaining and street meetings demanding the arrest and punishment of the husband and in-laws involved in the murder of a housewife named Sumaiya Mondal (18) for dowry demand.
The human chain and road meeting was held at the Railgate traffic junction of the city on Thursday.
The deceased Sumaiya Mandal is the daughter of Arman Mandal, a poor rickshaw puller of Paschim Tengri Kacharipara of Ishwardi town. Sumaiya is the elder of the two sisters. On April 22, the police found Sumaiya’s body hanging from her in-laws’ house in Paschim Tengri area of the city. There were injury marks on his neck and fingers. The family claims that the husband tortured and killed Sumaiya due to dowry. They also filed a complaint at the police station on the night of the incident. But the police could not arrest anyone till Thursday.
Sumaiya’s father Arman Mondal, uncle Korban Mondal, neighbors Jotna Begum and Safiqul Islam Emel spoke at this human chain and street meeting on Thursday, demanding the arrest and punishment of those involved in this situation.
Meanwhile, Arman Mandal said in the road meeting that on November 11, 2022, Sumaiya got married to Talat Mahmud, the son of the deceased Daulat Khan of Purwa Tengri Kadamtala area. Although they did not consent to the marriage, it was accepted after six months. But after a year it is known that Talat Mahmud has another wife. That wife also died by suicide. After the matter came to light, husband Talat demanded dowry from his daughter Sumaiya and started torturing and beating her. Even on the five fasting days of Ramadan, Sumaiya was beaten and thrown out of the house. Meanwhile, Talat Mahmud took Sumaiya to his house just two days before Sumaiya’s murder. Two days later, Talat suddenly called him and told him that your daughter had hanged herself. On hearing the news, he went to the city’s Purvtengri Kadamtala and found Sumaiya lying unconscious in Talat’s bedroom. Multiple injury marks on his neck and fingers. He was quickly taken to Ishwardi Upazila Health Complex where the doctor declared him dead.
Arman Mandal alleged that his daughter was physically tortured by Talat Mahmud and family members and hanged for dowry. He demanded the immediate arrest and punishment of Talat Mahmud and his family members in connection with this ‘murder’.
Biplab Kumar Goswami, Additional Superintendent of Police of Ishwardi circle, said that her father did not make any specific complaint about the death of the housewife Sumaiya. He only reported the incident to the police as a ‘reporter’. Later, a case of wrongful death was registered in the police station. However, if the post-mortem report comes, action will be taken as per law.
KMH/SR
