Husband's brutality lands her in hospital

Tortured allegedly by her husband, a woman is undergoing treatment at Gaibandha Sadar Hospital.

Victim Zakia Sultana Hashi of Meghdomur village in Gaibandha Sadar upazila is wife of Asad Alam Pabon, a police constable serving in Thakurgaon.

She told journalists yesterday that her husband tortured her as she failed to pay dowry of Tk 3 lakh and refused to accept his second marriage.

Asad married Nahid of Birganj upazila of Dinajpur a few days ago without the consent of his first wife. Since then, he had been putting pressure on Zakia to accept the matter, but she refused.

On July 3, Asad came home during Eid and brought his first wife from her father's home. He demanded Tk 3 lakh dowry from Zakia and told her to accept Nahid as his second wife. As Zakia refused, he confined her to a room for 12 days without food, tortured her and cut off her hair.

On being informed, relatives of Zakia went to Asad's house in Domorgacha village under Gobindaganj upazila and rescued her with the help of locals. They admitted her to Gaibandha Sadar hospital on Tuesday.

"Tk 3 lakh was given to Asad Alam as dowry when he married Zakia seven years ago, and now he wants Tk 3 lakh more. He also married another woman and tortured my daughter to accept it," said Julekha Begum, mother of Jakia.

"My son Jahangir Alam went to the police station for filing a case against Asad, but police did not allow him to," she added.

Mozammel Huq, officer-in-charge of Gobindaganj Police Station, said a case can be filed with specific charges of torture.

Asad Alam could not be contacted as his cellphone was switched off.