Madaripur, Nov 07 (V7N) – A young woman named Sumaiya Akter, 18, reportedly took her own life in Madaripur after enduring continuous mental and emotional abuse from her in-laws. The deceased was the wife of Italy-based expatriate Zahidul Howladar. Following the incident, the accused family members went into hiding.

Police recovered Sumaiya’s body around 2 a.m. on Tuesday (November 5) from her bedroom at her father’s house in Kisamaddi Bajitpur village under Bajitpur Union in Rajoir upazila. The body was later sent to Madaripur 250-bed District Hospital for autopsy. After the postmortem examination, the body was buried at her family home on Wednesday evening.

Sumaiya was the daughter of local small businessman Nasir Howladar. She married Zahidul Howladar of Bhariapara village in Kunia Union of Madaripur Sadar upazila about 16 months ago. Family members said Zahidul had promised to take her to Italy after marriage, but his family objected. This led to ongoing disputes and mental torture from her father-in-law, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law. They allegedly kept Sumaiya’s 10 tolas of gold ornaments that were given during her wedding.

Unable to bear the abuse, Sumaiya had been living at her parents’ home for several months. On Tuesday night, after an argument over the phone with her husband, she reportedly hanged herself from a ceiling fan using her scarf.

Her mother, Rumi Begum, said Zahidul called her from Italy around 1:30 a.m., saying Sumaiya had not been answering the phone for three hours. “When I rushed to her room, I found my daughter dead. My daughter was constantly tortured by her in-laws and couldn’t stay in their house. They even took all her wedding gold. I believe they killed her. I demand justice,” she said.

Her father, Nasir Howladar, echoed the same, saying, “They never took her to Italy because we are poor. They kept abusing my daughter mentally. After her death, none of them even came to see her. I urge the authorities to ensure justice so that no other daughter suffers like this.”

Local arbitrator Al-Amin Howladar said that the family dispute over travel abroad and gold ornaments had been ongoing. “Two months ago, we tried to mediate between the two families. Sumaiya told us, ‘If I’m not taken abroad, I’ll hang myself.’ Sadly, she did exactly that. We want justice,” he said.

Officer-in-Charge of Rajoir Police Station, Mohammad Masud Khan, confirmed the incident, saying that the autopsy had been completed and the body handed over to the family. “An investigation is underway, and legal action will be taken based on the findings,” he added.

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