Residents of Ishwardi staged a demonstration and formed a human chain on Thursday, demanding the arrest and punishment of the husband allegedly involved in the murder of Sumaiya Mondal.
The protests took place at the railway gate traffic junction of Ishwardi town in Pabna at 11:00am.
Sumaiya, daughter of Arman Mandal, a rickshaw-puller from West Tengri Kacharipara area, was found dead on April 22, with her body hanging in her father-in-law's house in Purba Tengri area. Family members reported multiple bruises on Sumaiya's neck and fingers and lodged a complaint with the police on the night of the incident.
During the human chain and road meeting on Thursday, Sumaiya's father recalled that she married Talat Mahmud, son of the late Daulat Khan of Purba Tengri Kadamtala area, on November 11, 2022, against their wishes.
When Talat's previous marriage and subsequent suicide of his wife became known, he began abusing Sumaiya for dowry. On the fifth day of Ramadan, Sumaiya was brutally beaten and ejected from the house. Two days later, Talat claimed she had hanged herself. However, upon investigation, Sumaiya was found unconscious in Talat's bedroom with visible injuries. She was pronounced dead upon arrival at Ishwardi Upazila Health Complex. Arman Mandal accused Talat Mahmud and his family of subjecting Sumaiya to physical torture and staging her death as a suicide due to dowry demands. He demanded immediate arrest and punishment of Talat Mahmud.
When reached for comment, Ishwardi police station's officer-in-charge, Rafiqul Islam, stated that no case had been filed by the family regarding Sumaiya's death, nor had the autopsy report been received. Legal action will be taken upon filing of a case and examination of the post-mortem report.