Housewife murdered for dowry

A young housewife was tortured to death allegedly by in-laws at their Dangapara village house in Bagmara upazila under the district early yesterday.
Body of the victim, Sonia Akhtar Lucky, 24, daughter of Abdus Sattar of neighbouring Baroihati village, was partially burnt after pouring petrol, apparently in a bid to conceal to hide the torture marks, said the police and her family members.
After the brutal murder, Lucky's husband Maidul Islam, his parents and brother fled away along with the six-year-old child of the victim, leaving their walled house under lock and key.
Police recovered her burnt body from beneath a guava tree after they entered the house breaking the lock at around 11:00pm.
The inquest report found torture marks on Lucky's body, said Harun-ur Rashid, officer in charge of Bagmara police station.
"I visited the spot. Circumstances suggest that the victim was set afire at the courtyard following her murder at a room of the house. The victim's hands and legs were tied and the upper part of her body was burnt. Trees near her body also got burnt. The body was sent to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital Morgue for autopsy," he added.
Lucky's father Abdus Sattar filed a case with Bagmara police station accusing Maidul, his father Abdul Jabbar, mother Manekjan Begum, brother Abdul Mannan and five or six unnamed people of the murder.
He said in the case that Lucky was murdered as she failed to give her in-laws Tk 50,000 as dowry.
"I received a call from Maidul's mobile phone at around 8:00am. An unknown person told me that Lucky was seriously electrocuted at Maidul's house. I Rushed to Maidul's house and found many people gathered there. They were waiting for the police to enter the locked house," Sattar told this correspondent.
"Lucky often told me that her in-laws tortured her for dowry. On July 30, Lucky told me for the last time that her husband told her to manage Tk 50,000 for his business otherwise he would take a second wife. But how could I manage the money?” said Sattar, who earns his living by fixing radio and television.