Housewife succumbs to burn injuries

A teenage housewife succumbed to burn injuries yesterday after fighting for life for seven days at the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
The victim, Sadia Yeasmin Tania, 18, was shifted to the DMCH from Rangpur Medical College Hospital on February 4 with severe burns on more than 40 percent of her body.
Members of Tania's family alleged that her husband Majedul Huq Masud, an army person based at Bogra cantonment, had set fire to her body over his demand for dowry on February 2.
Police quoting locals however said she had set herself afire following an altercation with Masud, who hails from Domar upazila in Nilphamari.
Tania's mother Diljahan Begum told reporters at the DMCH that Tania and Masud got married two years ago without the consent of family members.
Only about a month ago, she had sent her daughter to Masud's house giving him Tk 1.5 in cash and furniture worth Tk 1 lakh. And Masud rented a house for them at Domar as his family did not accept Tania.
Tania's relative Jamal Hossain alleged that Masud had quarrelled with his wife repeatedly for realising Tk 50 thousand more in dowry.
Masud, who also was at the DMCH, claimed that his wife suffered burns as a kerosene stove exploded.
He denied any making any dowry demand.
Contacted over telephone last night, Officer-in-Charge of Domar Police Station Mohammad Rohani said the couple had a quarrel over family feuds, and at one stage Tania poured kerosene and set fire to herself.