Man sentenced to death for 2021 murder of wife over dowry

Sumon, 35, has been sent to prison after a warrant was issued for his arrest

A Chattogram court has sentenced a man to death for killing his wife over a dowry demand.

Ferdous Ara of the Chattogram Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal delivered the verdict in the case on Monday.

The convict was identified as 35-year-old Sumon, a resident of Chattogram’s Fatikchhari.

Tribunal clerk Kafil Uddin told bdnews24.com, “As the charges of torturing and killing his wife were proven, the accused - Sumon - was found guilty under Section 11(a) of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, 2000, sentenced to death, and fined Tk 500,000.”

“The accused - Sumon - was present in court when the verdict was delivered. Later, he was sent to jail after a warrant was issued.”

According to the case documents, Sumon married Moni Akter of Narayanhat Union in Bhujpur Thana in 2010 after they had a romantic relationship. However, Sumon hid from Moni that he had previously been married more than once.

Sumon had been abusing his wife since the marriage, the case documents allege, adding that Moni worked in the Halda Valley Tea Garden. Moni bought her husband a motorcycle using her own income and also gave him Tk 50,000.

Despite this, the case documents say that Sumon continued to beat his wife and demand more money.

On Oct 30, 2021, Sumon went to his in-laws' house with his wife and maternal uncle Md Tipu. There, he asked his father-in-law Momtaz for a dowry.

After his father-in-law said he was unable to pay one, Sumon set off on his motorcycle with his wife. On the way, he stopped the vehicle in the Kalikumbha area, took Moni to the side of the road, gagged her and began to beat her.

Moni's arms and legs were broken in the beating. She was hit on the head with a brick. Sumon hit Moni in the left eye and injured Moni's chest using the silencer of the motorcycle.

After that, Moni was initially taken to a local village doctor. From there, Sumon took her to Chittagong Medical College Hospital. Moni died in the hospital on Nov 25 of that year while undergoing treatment.

Two days after her death, on Nov 27, 2021, her brother Abbas filed a murder case, acting as the plaintiff.

During the investigation, Sumon gave a confessional statement.

Police submitted a chargesheet against Sumon and he was indicted on Sept 4, 2022.

After hearing the testimony of 13 people in the case, a Chattogram court sentenced him to death on Monday.