A housewife has allegedly been tortured to death for dowry in Rajshahi's New Market area.
The victim is Mehetaz Parveen Mou, 19, daughter of late Mojibur Rahman, of Hatem Khan area.
Quoting locals, a local newsman Shamiul Alim told the Dhaka Tribune that the victim was brought to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital in critical condition on Monday night.
Later, the on-duty doctors declared her dead around 10pm Monday.
Mou's in-laws claimed that she committed suicide by hanging herself from the ceiling while her family members claimed that she was tortured to death.
Boalia police station OC Shahadat Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune: “We heard that she committed suicide following a dispute over conjugal issues. But as her family members claimed that she was tortured to death, we have detained her husband and brother-in-law Rahul, 15.
“The next course of action will be fixed once the autopsy report is released.”
Mou's uncle Rakibul Islam said: “Mou got married to Kazi Anwar Adil Ranju, 42, in 2013. Ranju's family members [his mother, step-mother and step brother] often tortured her for dowry.
“We have held several arbitration over the issue earlier. Later on Monday night, Mou's in-laws called her mother to their house for another arbitration. We got the sad news a few hours after Mou's mother reached home form her in-laws house.”
Following the incident, agitated locals vandalised a number of vehicles in Ghosh Parar More area on Tuesday evening.
They also beat up Ranju while he was waiting outside of the hospital morgue, said the police.
The Boalia OC further said: “We have detained Ranju and his brother in face of public anger.
“They will be released if the autopsy report states that Mou committed suicide. Otherwise, legal action will be taken against them.”