<i>Whipped Tanore housewife succumbs to injuries</i>
A housewife, who fell victim to fatwa (religious edict) and was whipped 40 times at Kochua village in Tanore upazila a month ago over allegation of an illicit affair with her stepson, died on December 14.
Taimur Rahman , brother of the victim, Sufia Begum, 45, lodged a complaint with Tanore Police Station, alleging that she succumbed to her injuries.
He accused seven people, including the village leader Nawsher Ali Mollah and Kochua mosque Imam Afsar Ali, of killing his sister.
The complainant stated that Sufia was the second wife of Omar Ali Pramanik, a beggar at Kochua village.
At an arbitration on November 12, the village leaders brought allegations of illicit relations between Sufia and her stepson Abdul Hannan, 36, and awarded 40 lashes to each of them, the complainant, he said
The complainant further said that Sufia fell sick following the incident and was under treatment of a village doctor. As her condition deteriorated, she was admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital where she died on December 14, he added.
“We will record the complaint after primary investigation”, said Azizul Haque Sarker, officer-in-charge of Tanore Police Station.
Imam Afsar Ali and Nawsher Ali Mollah admitted to awarding Sufia with 40 lashes following an advice of madrasa teacher Ruhul Amin.
“I have no knowledge of giving a fatwa. So, I requested Ruhul Amin and he advised to give 40 lashes to both Sufia and Hannan”.
Contacted, Ruhul Amin, a teacher of Malopara Madrassa, said he did not give any such advice to anyone. “A fatwa must be issued in written. I did not issue any such fatwa”.
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