Newlywed murdered over dowry in Faridpur

A newlywed teenage bride was murdered reportedly by her in-laws over dowry in Faridpur district of Bangladesh, just 45 days after her marriage.

The deceased is Rodela Khanam, 18, daughter of Shawkat Hossain Khan.

Married off to Asadul Sohan on January 13, Rodela was a first-year honours student.

Sources at Faridpur Medical College Hospital said that Rodela had been brought dead late on Monday night with marks of bruise around her neck.

The accused went into hiding soon after the incident.

Directly claiming that Sohan, his mother and sisters murdered Rodela, the victim’s family also accused them of torturing girl mentally right from the very outset of the wedding.

When contacted, Rodela’s mother Ruma Khanam said that Sohan had been demanding dowry to set up a new house on his land, but she could not mention the amount.

Police, nevertheless, managed to detain two people from Rodela’s in-laws’ house for interrogation.

A nationwide estimate by rights group Ain o Salish Kendra states that at least 126 women were tortured to death for dowry in 2016, compared to the previous year’s 172 deaths.

Moreover, at least 108 women were physically tortured last year over dowry, while the figure was 93 a year ago. The annual report, prepared based on news reports, also reads that 10 women committed suicide last year following dowry-related disputes.

Last year, only 95 cases were filed over the incidents of deaths and torture for dowry, whereas the number was 147 in 2015.

Source: Dhaka Tribune