3 arrested over suspected suicide of pregnant woman in Chattogram
Preliminary findings suggest that the victim suffered prolonged abuse by her in-laws, which may have driven her to suicide, say police
Police on Thursday evening (17 October) arrested three people in a case filed over the suspected suicide of a nine-month-pregnant woman whose body was abandoned by the accused at Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) on Wednesday.
The deceased was identified as Shahnaz Kamrun Nahar, 25, an MBA student at the University of Chittagong. The arrests came shortly after the case was registered against seven people, including Shahnaz's husband, at Panchlaish Police Station.
Shahnaz's sister-in-law Taslima Afroz and her husband Mohammad Lokman were arrested from the Hathazari Municipality area. Another sister-in-law, Nazifa Salsabin, was arrested from the port city's Cosmopolitan area, confirmed Panchlaish police Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Solaiman.
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The others accused in the case are Shahnaz's husband Al Fayad Chowdhury, his mother Chemon Ara Rafiq, and his two other sisters Khadija Afroz and Tahmina Afroz.
OC Solaiman said efforts were on to capture the other suspects. "Preliminary findings suggest that Shahnaz had suffered prolonged abuse by her in-laws, which may have driven her to suicide. Shahnaz was nine months pregnant with her first child expected within a few days," he added.
According to Shahnaz's family, the abuse stemmed from dowry demands. The torture allegedly began soon after the couple got married, following a romantic relationship, with family approval on December 16, 2023.
Her brother Mohammad Shahnewaz said Shahnaz endured mistreatment during her pregnancy, hoping to secure a better future for her child. However, the torture reportedly escalated as her due date approached.
Last Wednesday (16 October), Shahnaz's mother-in-law informed Shahnewaz's wife that she had fainted. Attempts to contact the family soon after by phone were unsuccessful. Shahnaz was initially taken to a private hospital, but when admission was denied, she was taken to CMCH where doctors declared her dead. Afterwards, the accused reportedly abandoned her body there and fled.
Medical staff observed ligature marks around her neck, suggesting suicide, according to police and family members. The case filed by Shahnewaz alleged that she likely hanged herself with a veil from a ceiling fan, unable to withstand the torture by her in-laws any longer.
