Acid thrown on housewife
A woman was critically injured in a vicious acid attack by her husband in the city's Nakhalpara yesterday allegedly for refusing to frame his cousin for rape.
Aklima Akhter, 32, sustained chest, throat, face and eye injuries when her husband Abdul Kuddus threw acid on her at their one-room apartment, said family members.
Rawshan Ara, a resident of the four-storey building, said she went to the apartment in the afternoon hearing the couple arguing and tried to pacify Kuddus, but in vain.
All of a sudden, the 40-year-old threw acid on his wife and fled the scene.
Locals rushed the victim to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Doctors at the hospital said the patient was fighting for life.
Neighbours, including the building's owner, said Kuddus was a yaba addict, in the habit of gambling, and was arrested twice by police in the last six months. He used to beat up Aklima and sometimes assault people who would attempt to intervene.
Victim's family members said Kuddus and one his cousins recently exchanged blows over money. Since then, he has been planning to “punish” his cousin.
Kuddus, a supplier of garment workers, had been pressing her wife to frame his cousin for rape, alleged the family members.
“He [Kuddus] didn't pay the apartment rent regularly. Sometimes I didn't dare to ask for the money due to his violent nature. I have been aksing him to vacate the apartment for months, but in vain,” building's owner Saleha Begum told this correspondent.
Married for 17 years, the couple has four children. Kuddus worked in Malaysia for about one and a half years and returned home seven months ago, said his eldest child.
The daughter, aged about 15, said after returning home from abroad, her father often accused her mother of having an affair with another man. He married the girl off soon after returning from Malaysia.
Aklima's brother Ramjan said he lent Kuddus Tk 2 lakh about a couple of months ago and he was demanding more.
“He borrowed money from many of our family members and kept asking for more without paying the debt,” added Ramjan.
Abdur Rashid, officer-in-charge of Tejgaon Industrial Police Station, said police were hunting for Kuddus.
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