<i>Housewife set afire for dowry</i>

A housewife was set afire allegedly by in-laws for dowry at Sahebganj in Bakerganj upazila of Barisal district on Saturday night.
The victim, Asma Begum, 26, wife of Jewel Bepari, was first admitted to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital (SBMCH) and then shifted to the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH).
Asma's husband Jewel Bepari also received burn injuries as he tried to save her wife. He is now undergoing treatment at SBMCH.
Monwar Hossain, cousin of the victim, filed a case with Bakerganj Police Station yesterday under Women and Children Repression Prevention Act.
He sued Asma's husband Jewel Bepari, father-in-law Alam Bepari, mother-in-law Mansura Begum, brother-in-law Sohel Bepari, and sisters-law Nasrin Aktar and Tania Aktar for attempt to burn Asma alive.
Police arrested Mansura Begum and Tania Aktar and Asma's husband Jewel yesterday. The rest of the accused have gone into hiding.
In the case, the complainant stated that Alam married Asma in 2005 and her in-laws took money from her parents as dowry.
He alleged that they again put pressure on Asma to bring money from her parents, but she refused to do so. On Saturday night, the accused beat up Asma, poured kerosene on her body and set fire to it, the complainant further said.
Dr Sultan Mahmud, assistant registrar of female surgery unit of the hospital, said as 90 percent of her body got burnt, she was immediately referred to the burn unit of DMCH.
Denying the allegation, Asma's husband Jewel said she herself set fire to her body following an altercation with his mother. "I also received burn injuries as I tried to save her," Jewel added.