She at last succumbed to her self-inflicted burns at Dhaka Medical College Hospital yesterday.
Years of mental torture and humiliation at the in-laws place in Patuakhali culminated in 28-year-old Mitu Akhter attempting to commit suicide Friday afternoon, her family alleged.
Her agony lasted for another two days as she breathed her last yesterday at 5:15pm at the hospital.
Before Mitu, a housewife, set herself on fire, she had a quarrel with her mother-in-law, Halima Begum over a trivial matter and at one stage Halima hurled abuse at Mitu for having dark complexion as she had done before on many occasions, Mitu's family members said.
Mitu's in-laws also used to rebuke her for her family's failure to fulfil their ever increasing demand for dowry.
The father-in-law had demanded Tk1 lakh during her marriage. Of the amount, Tk 50,000 was given along with furniture just after the ceremony. Later, her family gave the rest of the money and other expensive gifts, said the victim's brother, Masud Rana.
"Even though we fulfilled all the demands of her in-laws, she had to bear insults from her mother-in-law and finally that is what made Mitu take her own life,” said Rana with a sigh.
Rana also said Mitu had confided to her mother that Halima often used to bring up the matter of her complexion while giving a reason for demanding dowry.
Mother of two children, Mitu was married to Mizanur Rahman Riaz, a garment worker in Gazipur, eight years ago.
Mitu's husband admitted to journalists that his wife and mother had often engaged in quarrels but that had nothing to do with dowry.
Riaz denied taking any dowry during his marriage.
Rana said the body would be taken to her parental home in Dashmina, Patuakhali for burial today.
“After burial, we will take legal steps against her in-laws for provoking her to commit suicide."