A 23-year-old housewife who had married her long-time partner after staging a five-day hunger strike to demand recognition of their relationship has been found dead at her husband’s home in Gopalpur upazila of Tangail, prompting a police investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.
The deceased, Monia Munni, was discovered hanging on Wednesday morning at her in-laws’ residence in Fulbari village under Hemnagar Union. Police recovered the body and sent it for a post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.
Munni was the daughter of Manju Mia of the Bhuiya Bari area in Fulbari Madhyapara and had married Jihad Bhuiya, a resident of the same village, approximately three months ago.
According to local accounts, the couple had been involved in a romantic relationship before marriage. Munni reportedly spent five consecutive days on a hunger strike at Jihad’s family home in an effort to secure their marriage after disputes arose over the relationship. Following mediation by local community leaders, the marriage was solemnised on 30 April with a dowry settlement of Tk 900,000 specified as denmohor (dower), the amount payable by the groom to the bride under Islamic marriage law.
Before the marriage took place, Munni’s mother, Rina Begum, had reportedly lodged a complaint with the Hemnagar Investigation Centre. In that complaint, she raised allegations relating to the termination of a pregnancy before the marriage and expressed concerns about her daughter’s safety, seeking protection from the authorities.
Family members of the deceased have now alleged that Munni was subjected to repeated physical and psychological abuse by members of her husband’s family after the marriage. They claim the alleged mistreatment continued throughout the short duration of the marriage and may have contributed to the circumstances leading to her death. These allegations have not yet been independently verified and remain part of the ongoing investigation.
Local residents said that after news of the incident spread on Wednesday morning, neither Munni’s husband, Jihad Bhuiya, nor any other members of his family could be found at the house. Relatives of the deceased have alleged that the family fled the residence following the incident.
Police officials confirmed that an investigation is under way. Officers visited the scene, recovered the body and completed the initial inquest before sending it for forensic examination.
Officer-in-Charge Ruhul Amin of Gopalpur Police Station said police had responded immediately after receiving information about the incident. He stated that the post-mortem report would play a crucial role in establishing the actual cause of death and determining whether any criminal offence had been committed.
He added that appropriate legal action would be taken based on the findings of the investigation and the forensic examination.
The case has drawn significant attention in the local community because the marriage itself had followed a widely discussed dispute that required intervention from community leaders. Investigators are expected to examine the family’s allegations of domestic abuse alongside forensic evidence and witness statements before reaching any conclusions regarding the manner and cause of Munni’s death. At this stage, police have not announced any arrests, and the investigation remains ongoing.
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