Chained woman rescued

Chained Koli Begum at her courtyard in Beltoli Charpara area in Netrakona’s Kalmakanda upazila. Photo: Star

Police rescued a chained and tortured housewife from Netrakona on Friday and arrested dowry-greedy husband and four in-laws in connection with the incident.

The victim is Koli Begum, 24, wife of Md Jahangir Alam of Beltoli Charpara village in Kalmakanda upazila. She is the mother of one-and-half-year-old daughter.

The arrestees are rickshaw puller Md Jahangir Alam and his parents -- Abdul Hamid and Fatema Begum-- brother Alamgir Hossain, 32, and his (Alamgir) wife Ruma Akter, 28.  

Police and family members said Koli, daughter of Khairul Alam of Sylhet, married Jahangir three and half years ago.

After the marriage, Jahangir and his family members often tortured Koli for dowry. Koli brought Tk 20,000 from her day labourer father for Jahangir a few days ago.

On Thursday, Jahangir again pressed Koli for more dowry money, said Officer in Charge (OC) of Kalmakanda Police Station Md Mazharul Karim.

Jahangir and his family members beat Koli mercilessly following an altercation over the issue on Friday morning. The victim was then chained up so that she could not flee the home.

Informed by neighbours, police rescued Koli from the spot in the afternoon and sent her to the upazila health complex. The five were arrested in this connection yesterday.

The arrestees were produced before a court that sent them to jail, said the OC.