Police recovered the charred body of an 18-year-old woman, Farzana Akhter, from a locked room in Gazipur’s Konabari area on Friday (May 22) evening.
The incident occurred in a tin-shed colony owned by Md. Raju Mia in Notun Bazar. Farzana, originally from Mirpur’s Bihari Patti in Dhaka, lived in the rented room with her husband, Md. Babu (35).
Locals grew suspicious Friday evening after noticing a strong smell of smoke coming from the couple's locked room. After cutting through the tin fence to enter, they discovered Farzana’s burnt body on the floor.
A resident immediately called the national emergency hotline 999. Konabari police soon arrived to recover the body and also seized a bottle of kerosene from the scene. Following the discovery, police detained Farzana's husband, Babu, and the property’s caretaker, Roman (27), for questioning.
Babu claimed he had locked the door from the outside and gone to the local market, only to return to news of the fire. He further alleged that his wife was having an affair with Roman.
However, neighbors suspect foul play, noting that the couple frequently argued and experienced severe marital discord. The circumstances have sparked public debate over whether the death was a suicide or a premeditated murder.
Konabari Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Iftekhar Hossain confirmed the body was sent to the Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Medical College Hospital morgue for an autopsy.
"We are investigating all angles, including suicide and murder," the OC stated. "Questioning of the husband and the caretaker is ongoing, and further details will be provided as the investigation progresses."
