Man held for burning wife to death

Rab on Tuesday arrested a man for burning his second wife to death by pouring petrol on her body and setting her on fire in Gazipur's Nayapara.

Mizanur Rahman Sumon, 28, of Cumilla's Muradnagar, and a driver by profession, was arrested by Rab-1 from Naojor area of Gazipur city, said Mahfuzur Rahman, assistant director of Rab-1, at a briefing yesterday.

The victim is Bilkis, 26.

The Rab official said during primary interrogation, Sumon said he lived in a rented house in Ranabola area near Dhaka's Turag with his first wife and their daughter.

Two years ago, he married Bilkis, without informing his family.

He rented another house for his second wife in Nayapara, approximately two kilometres from Ranabola.

Recently, Sumon and Bilkis were having a dispute over household expenditure, Rab said quoting him. She was demanding more money from him for expenses.

On May 19, he took Bilkis to the Purbachal area in a car. Around 4:00pm, Sumon parked the car in a secluded area. When the couple got out of the vehicle, he poured petrol on her and set her on fire. He then fled the scene.

Hearing screams, locals rescued Bilkis from a drain and took her to Kurmitola General Hospital.

As her condition deteriorated, she was shifted to the burn institute in Dhaka where she died around 9:00am on May 20, the Rab official added.