Pabna: Husband Arrested Over Alleged Strangling of Wife After Row Over Money Sent to Her Father's Home

Abdur Rahim (45) has been accused of strangling his wife Romena Khatun (35) during an argument over savings from his earnings abroad that she had secretly been sending to her father's home. The killing took place at Charpara village in Dhulauri union of Santhia upazila, Pabna. Police arrested Rahim from his own home.

The killing occurred at around 10:30pm on Monday (November 2). Santhia police station officer-in-charge (OC) Anisur Rahman confirmed that Rahim was arrested on Tuesday (November 3).

The deceased Romena Khatun was the daughter of the late Ali of Kashinathpur village in the same union. The arrested Abdur Rahim is the son of Roiz Molla of Charpara village.

According to local and police sources, Abdur Rahim went to Saudi Arabia about twelve years ago and stayed there for six years. He currently works in Malaysia and came home on leave about two months ago.

Confessing to the killing to police, Abdur Rahim said that while he was abroad his wife sent most of his income to her father's home. On Monday, without telling him, Romena Khatun again sent 13,000 taka of saved money to her father's home. When he asked about the money, an argument broke out and at one stage he grabbed his wife by the throat; she died as a result.

The victim's father said that after hearing of his daughter's death on Monday he went there, where the husband's family told him Romena had died a natural death and began preparing for burial. But during the ritual washing, seeing marks of beating on her body and injury marks on her neck, he became suspicious and informed the police station.

Noting that Romena Khatun leaves behind two sons, her father said: “What will happen to my grandsons now? I want justice for my daughter's murder and the killer hanged.”

OC Anisur Rahman said: “On receiving news of the housewife's death, police went to the scene. Seeing injury marks on the body, suspicion arose and the husband was questioned. When he confessed to the killing, he was detained.”

After an autopsy at Pabna General Hospital on Tuesday afternoon, the body was handed over to the family. Police said the process of filing a case over the incident is under way.