Man burns pregnant wife in Sylhet, baby stillborn

A man has been accused of pouring petrol onto the body of his nine-month pregnant wife and lighting her on fire over a “domestic row” in Sylhet’s Kanaighat Upazila.

The baby was stillborn while the housewife received treatment at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital on Sunday.

The husband was detained from Choripara village in the Upazila’s Satbank Union on Monday afternoon, said Md Abdul Awal, chief of Kanaighat Police Station.

The incident occurred at the home of the woman’s family in Kandala village in the Upazila around 8pm on Saturday, he said.

Burn victim Sabana Begum, 22, is the daughter of local resident Abdul Jabbar. She is currently receiving medical treatment. Her husband and detainee Hossain Ahmed Chowdhury Akhtar, 40, is a resident of the same village.

“Thirty-five percent of the woman’s body has been burnt,” Dr Sumitra Chakrabarty said. “The family has been advised to take her to Dhaka, but the family wants to treat her here. On Sunday, the baby was stillborn. We are currently treating her at the burn unit.

Sub-Inspector Md Shah Alam of Kanaighat police said, “They married a year ago. This was to be their first child. Akhtar poured petrol onto his wife’s bed when she was sleeping.”

“Akhtar was detained on Monday afternoon with help from locals. The family of the woman is coming to the police station to file a case.”

Lakshmiprasad East union council Member Fakhar Uddin Chowdhury told bdnews24.com that he went to the hospital to see the victim on Saturday night as soon as he heard about the incident. The child was stillborn as she was undergoing treatment.

The newborn was buried by the police after funeral prayers.

Sabana’s father Abdul Jabbar said, “Sabana married Akhtar about a year ago. He lived in my house alongside Sabina most of the time.”

“I was not at home the night of the incident when Akhtar came to the house. Akhtar poured petrol onto Sabina’s body, started a fire, and fled. My girl is fighting for her life at the hospital.”