Police suspect arson, brother's involvement

This was suspected by the Investigation officer (IO) of the case who visited the spot along with a fire brigade team on Saturday.

"We are now sure that the fire did not originate from a short circuit. It was an arson", said Jhenidah Sadar thana Officer-in-charge (OC) Azizul Haq yesterday.

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"Now we are trying to trace who did the arson", he added.

When contacted over telephone yesterday Jhenidah Police Superintendent Akram Hossain also said, "It was a pre-panned murder.

"We will know everything after arrest and interrogation of the accused".

Nazrul Islam and his wife Asma Khatun were fatally burnt in a fire incident in their house.

Nazrul died next day at Jhenidah Sadar Hospital and Asma on Thursday at Dhaka Burn Hospital after seven days' fight for life.

At first it was thought that the fire had originated from a short circuit.

But Asma told her parents a different story before her death at Dhaka Burn Hospital on Thursday.

Her father Akkas Ali in a written complaint to Jhenidah Police Superintendent Akram Hossain Friday morning claimed that an elder brother of Nazrul was involved in the arson at her house.

SP Akram Hossain immediately visited the spot and ordered a probe. The Sadar thana OC visited the spot and then took the case filed by Asma's father.

Three persons have been accused in the case. They are Nazrul's elder brother Golam Murtoza, his wife Tahmina Kahtun and Tahmina's brother Haidar Ali. They are absconding, police said.

According to case filed by Akkas Ali, Nazrul, son of Ahamed Ali married Asma in June last year. After the marriage Asma came to know that Nazrul's elder brother Golam Murtoza often used to threaten her husband in a dispute over family property and realised money from him.

Police, quoting Akkas Ali, told this correspondent that on the night of January 26, Nazrul went out of his room on nature's call. He had closed the door from outside. But on return, he saw the door open. He asked his wife who opened the door. Asma said she knew nothing.

After some time, the room caught fire and the couple was burnt critically.

"Some body entered the room just after Nazrul went out", the OC told this correspondent.

When asked, Nazrul's another brother Alauddin declined to comment.