Sunday, 31st May 2026
Khabor Wala Desk
Published: 31st May 2026, 5:08 PM
The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has resolved the investigation surrounding the death of a 19-year-old woman, whose body was discovered floating in a river in the Gazaria Upazila of Munshiganj District. Official police investigations revealed that the victim, identified as Halima Akter, was subjected to a gang rape before being murdered and subsequently discarded in the river. Law enforcement authorities have arrested four individuals in connection with the crime.
On Sunday evening, 31 May, the Additional Superintendent of Police for PBI Munshiganj, Asma Ara Jahan, disclosed the details of the investigation via an official press release. According to the PBI statement, the homicide was motivated by financial disputes regarding outstanding debts and an apprehension among the suspects concerning a potential loss of social reputation.
The four detained individuals have been identified as Abu Kalam, aged 48; Jamal Hossain, aged 44; Russell Mia, aged 44; and Al Amin Pradhan, aged 50. Law enforcement officials confirmed that all four suspects are permanent residents of the Boro Bhaterchar area situated within Gazaria.
The investigation commenced following the recovery of Halima Akter’s body from the Phuldi River in Gazaria by the River Police on Friday morning. Due to an advanced state of decomposition, initial identification of the deceased was not textually or visually possible at the scene. A specialized Crime Scene Team from PBI Munshiganj subsequently utilized information technology and digital forensics to establish her identity. The victim was identified as the daughter of Mohasin Bepari, residing in Jamaldi village under the Hossendi Union of Gazaria Upazila. Following the formal identification, the victim’s sister, Hosneura Akter Brishti, initiated legal proceedings by filing a formal murder case at the Gazaria Police Station.
Investigative findings compiled by the PBI outlined multiple compounding factors behind the crime. The victim, Halima Akter, was owed a sum of 25,000 taka by the accused Abu Kalam, alongside an additional 10,000 taka owed to her by Russell Mia. Furthermore, the investigation revealed an ongoing physical relationship between the victim and another accused individual, Jamal Hossain.
This relationship had recently been witnessed by a relative of Jamal Hossain. Fearing that the disclosure of this information would damage their domestic and social standing within the local community, the accused parties jointly conspired to eliminate her.
According to the details provided by Additional Superintendent of Police Asma Ara Jahan, the suspects had systematically formulated the murder plot 15 days prior to its execution during a meeting held inside the Hamdard University campus. In accordance with their pre-arranged strategy, the suspects used deception to lure Halima to the banks of the river in the Boro Bhaterchar area on the evening of 26 May.
Once the victim arrived at the designated riverbank, the suspects transported her across the river using a boat, moving her into the center of an isolated maize field. The PBI press release confirmed that she was subjected to gang rape by the perpetrators in the field. Following the assault, the suspects used the victim’s own clothing—specifically her shalwar—to construct a makeshift noose, executing her via strangulation before throwing her body back into the river currents.
On Sunday afternoon, sources from the Munshiganj Court Inspector’s office confirmed that the four suspects admitted their direct involvement in the gang rape and murder during initial police interrogations. The accused were subsequently produced before the Senior Judicial Magistrate’s Court (Cognizance Court No. 5). The suspects formally recorded their confessional statements under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure before the presiding Magistrate, Jinnia Islam, thereby validating the prosecution’s initial evidentiary framework.
Comments