Woman stabbed to death on Barisal-bound launch

A woman was stabbed to death allegedly by her husband and his friends inside a Barisal-bound launch in the early hours of yesterday. Police arrested three people, including husband of the deceased Minara Begum, 28, a resident of Mohammadpur in Dhaka, in connection with the killing. The arrested are Minara’s husband Anis Patowari, 22, an embroidery worker of Savar and his two friends – Kalam Patowari, 20, a laundry worker, and Md Tushar, 20, a shoe factory worker. Launch staff said Anis and Minara rented a staff cabin situated on the second floor of the launch to go to Barisal. Later, other passengers of the launch heard the scream of a woman which was coming from a cabin. Staff of the launch entered the cabin, breaking open door and found Kalam and Tushar with blood stained body of Mina. Later, Anis was detained from another side of the launch. Launch staff handed over the trio to police after anchoring the vessel at Barisal river port at about 4:30am. Shah Md Awlad Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kotwali police station, said Minara’s body was sent to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital for an autopsy. The knife used for killing was also recovered from the spot. During primary interrogation, they confessed to the killing, said police sources. The arrested said they had killed Minara, as she married Anis concealing her identity. They also alleged that she was a sex-worker and marred Anis trapping him.