An 11-year-old girl has committed suicide in order to escape dowry-based marriage in the district's Sheepur upazila on Friday.
The body of Shanti Akhter, a class three student of a local school, has been found hanging from the ceiling of her room around 10am.
Shanti's mother Firoza Akhter said Shanti's marriage was fixed with her lover Al-Amin.
“The wedding ceremony was scheduled to be held on Saturday. My daughter was unhappy as Al-Amin demanded dowry of Tk50,000.”
“But, we agreed to give Al-Amin Tk50,000 as dowry, considering my daughter's happiness,” Firoza added.
In the morning, Firoza went outside for buying some goods.
After returning from the market, she noticed the hanging body of her daughter and informed the locals.
Later, the police recovered her body and found a “suicide note” near it, said Shreepur police station SI Sohel Rana.
In the note, Shanti wrote: “Al-Amin, I really loved you. But, my poor father cannot give the dowry of Tk50,000 and your mother will not accept me without it.”
“You better get married with someone else, who can give you more money. Forgive me.”
Shanti's father is a day-labourer.
