Two Tales of Brutality

<i>Moslema burnt with acid for protesting wrong</i>

17 August 2009, 17:00 PM

Our Correspondent, Nilphamari

Victim of acid attack by husband, a mother of three children is undergoing treatment at a Nilphamari hospital. The victim, Moslema Khatun, 25, daughter of Mobachher Ali of Kachukata Mazapara village in Nilphamari Sadar upazila, faced the wrath of her husband Sirajul Islam as she filed a case against him for marrying another woman without her consent, said victim's family members. After marrying another woman without Moslema's consent six months ago, Sirajul started torturing Moslema for dowry, victim's family members said. At one stage, he went to Dhaka with his second wife. Moslema also returned to his father's house with her three children. Later Moslema filed a case with Women and Children Repression Prevention Court against her husband. After Sirajul's return from Dhaka recently, police arrested him. He came out of jail on bail after 11 days. “After coming out of jail, Sirajul pressed me to withdraw the case and became furious as I did not agree,” the victim said. On Saturday midnight Moslema came out of her room at her father's house to respond to the call of nature. Sirajul and his cousin Rabbani, who had been waiting in hiding, threw acid on her and fled the scene immediately, she said. Hearing Moslema's scream, relatives and neighbours rushed to the spot and took her to Nilphamari hundred-bed hospital the same night. “Moslema's face has been burnt with acid,” attending physician Dr Aminur Rahman said. A case has been filed and police is trying to arrest the culprits, said SI Ruhani of Nilphamari Police Station.