Woman murdered brutally in city flat, 'killer' caught

Writer Mumina Deyasini, 56, wife of deceased Dhaka University professor Dr Sultan Ahmed, was slaughtered in her Dhanmondi apartment yesterday afternoon.
Security guards of the apartment complex apprehended the alleged killer, Faruq Hossain, 23, a distant relative of the victim, while he was fleeing the scene.
Faruq, a 3rd-year honours resident student at Dhaka College, studying in English, later admitted to police that he had killed his aunt as she refused to pay for his meal expenses at the college.
Police recovered the bloodstained knife used in the killing from underneath the elevator mat of the building.
Mumina was a former librarian at Udayan School and College in the capital. Her husband, a Physics professor, passed away in 1994.
They have two sons -- Saidul Ahmed, currently in staying Russia and Mainul Ahmed Jhinuk, the younger son who lives with his mother in the 3rd floor apartment of Add Pearl on Road 3/A at Dhanmondi.
Mumina's 10-year-old domestic help Mamata witnessed the murder while the widow's younger son Jhinuk was at his office at Banani.
When asked to describe what she had witnessed, Mamata told The Daily Star, "Faruq came to the house at around 12:30pm, had lunch, watched television and read newspaper. At some point he killed Nanu [Mumina]."
"Hearing her scream, I looked into Nanu's bedroom and saw her laying in the bed while Faruq was attacking her, sitting on top her," she said adding, "Then I ran downstairs on the 2nd floor where my mother works and told my mother and the lady of the house about the incident. They informed the security guards of the incident."
While talking to The Daily Star at the office of Detective Branch (DB), Faruq, from Dhumaitari in Sundarganj upazila of Gaibandha district, said, "I wanted my aunt to give me Tk 300-400 for the dining charge, but she refused to give me the money. Instead, she asked me not to demand any money from her anymore. This made me angry and so I killed her."
Faruq also said that the deceased widow used to give him money every now and then to cover his educational expenses.
Members of police, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and DB arrived at the crime scene soon after the incident and the DB took Faruq in their custody for interrogation.
Maj Ehsan of Rab 2 said even though Faruq has admitted to killing the 56-year-old woman, we are also looking into the possibility of anyone else's involvement in the killing.
Abdul Alim, one of the security guards of the building who caught Faruq while fleeing the scene, told this correspondent, "Soon after I was informed of the incident over the intercom, I rushed to the elevator and saw Faruq coming out of it. I then grabbed him and yelled for help from the other security guard on duty."
"Faruq's hands were bloody when I caught him," said the guard from BSS -- a private security service provider.
According to family sources, Mumina is author of several books including 'Boiyer Pran', 'Bhuter Galpo', 'School Library Porjalochona: Prekkhit Bangladesh', 'Karotaley Kantok' and 'Boichitro'.
When asked if the victim had any dispute with anyone, Firoz Chowdhury, husband of one of Mumina's nieces, said she was fighting a court battle with Anwar Hossain, owner of Byatikram Prokashoni, over the royalty of her book 'Boiyer Pran' and the hearing of the case was scheduled to be held tomorrow [Tuesday]."
However, "we are not sure whether this has any link with the killing," he added.