Tutor Killing Confession Recorded

A woman arrested in connection with the killing of private tutor Mariam Begum in Chapainawabganj has confessed to the crime before a court, according to police.

The accused, Sumaiya Akter Sumi, stated in her confessional statement that she killed Mariam Begum alone by striking her with a wooden batam, a type of wooden beam, and later suffocating her.

Senior Judicial Magistrate Md Ashraful Islam of the Chapainawabganj Sadar Cognisance Court recorded the statement under Section 164 on Wednesday evening.

Additional Superintendent of Police A N M Wasim Firoz confirmed the development on Thursday morning.

Police recovered the body of Mariam Begum from Sumi’s residence in the Chowkapara area of Namoshankarbati under Chapainawabganj municipality on 19 May. The body had reportedly been placed inside a sack.

Following the recovery, police arrested Sumaiya Akter Sumi, her husband Md Rubel, Sumi’s father-in-law Anwar Hossain, and local goldsmith Dipak Saha.

According to Additional Superintendent of Police Wasim Firoz, Mariam Begum used to tutor Sumi’s child at home. On 18 May, while visiting the house to teach, Mariam reportedly asked Sumi for a loan to help purchase a laptop for her son. Sumi told her she did not have sufficient money.

Police said Mariam then handed over two gold earrings to Sumi to sell on her behalf. The earrings were allegedly sold to goldsmith Dipak Saha for Tk 12,000. Investigators said Sumi spent Tk 5,000 from the proceeds, leading to an argument between the two women.

During the altercation, Sumi allegedly struck Mariam with a wooden batam kept inside the house. When Mariam screamed, Sumi suffocated her, according to the police account based on the confession.

After the killing, the body was reportedly wrapped in a rexine covering and initially hidden beneath a bed in the bedroom. Later, the body was placed inside a sack and moved outside the room. Police said Sumi informed her husband about the incident later that night.

Police also stated that goldsmith Dipak Saha gave a confessional statement before the court, acknowledging that he had purchased the earrings from Sumi.

Investigators have seized the wooden batam allegedly used in the killing, one pair of earrings belonging to Mariam Begum, and Tk 7,500 believed to be part of the proceeds from the sale of the jewellery.

Mariam Begum was the wife of Mosaddek Hossain of Ujjalpara in Chapainawabganj municipality. Following the recovery of the body, her son Mobarak Hossain filed a murder case with Sadar Police Station on 19 May.