The deceased, identified as Nadia Begum, was found dead at her marital home in Hatikhal village under Gafargaon Union on Wednesday night (21 October). Her family suspects that she was deliberately killed over dowry-related demands or ongoing domestic disputes.
Nadia was the daughter of Nazim Uddin, a resident of Bagbari village in Longair Union of Gafargaon upazila.
According to family sources, Nadia married Kawchar Mia, son of Nur Chan of Hatikhal village, in an arranged marriage approximately a year ago. However, her relatives allege that she began experiencing physical and psychological abuse at the hands of her husband’s family soon after the marriage.
Nadia reportedly informed her parents about the alleged mistreatment on several occasions. Hoping that her marriage could be preserved, they advised her to adjust to the situation and continue living with her husband.
Her sudden death, less than a year into the marriage and while she was expecting a child, has left her family demanding answers.
Nadia’s mother, Moyful Banu, described the final conversation she had with her daughter on Wednesday afternoon.
According to her account, Nadia telephoned and said she intended to visit her parental home shortly. However, she never arrived.
At around 8 pm, a relative of Nadia’s husband contacted the family and informed them that she had died.
“On Wednesday afternoon, Nadia called me and said she would come to our house shortly. At around 8 pm, one of my son-in-law Kawchar’s relatives called to tell us that Nadia had died,” Moyful said.
“We reached her in-laws’ house at around 9 pm and found her body lying there. Although a large crowd had gathered, neither my son-in-law nor any member of his family was present.”
The reported disappearance of Nadia’s husband and his relatives has heightened the family’s suspicions about the circumstances surrounding her death.
Moyful alleged that her daughter had been murdered and questioned why the household members had apparently left the property before her relatives arrived.
“My daughter was three months pregnant. If she was not murdered, why did my son-in-law and the other family members flee, leaving her body behind? We want justice for this killing,” she said.
The family believes that Nadia’s reported history of domestic abuse should be thoroughly examined as part of the investigation. However, the allegations of murder and dowry-related violence have not yet been established through police findings or forensic evidence.
Inspector Moshiur Rahman of Gafargaon Police Station confirmed the incident and said officers had recovered Nadia’s body after receiving information about her death.
Police initially brought the body to the station before sending it to the morgue of Mymensingh Medical College Hospital on Thursday afternoon (22 October) for a post-mortem examination.
The inspector said Nadia’s mother, Moyful Begum, had lodged a formal complaint with the police concerning the circumstances of her daughter’s death.
He explained that the post-mortem report would help investigators determine the cause of death. Until the findings are available, it remains unclear whether Nadia died as a result of violence or other circumstances.
Police are continuing operations to apprehend those accused in connection with the incident.
Several questions remain unanswered, particularly what happened between Nadia’s telephone conversation with her mother on Wednesday afternoon and the call announcing her death that evening.
The family’s account also raises concerns about the alleged abuse Nadia experienced during her marriage. Investigators will need to examine the available evidence to determine whether those allegations are connected to her death.
Although Nadia’s husband and his relatives were reportedly absent when her family arrived, their disappearance does not, by itself, establish criminal responsibility.
The investigation is expected to focus on establishing the circumstances of Nadia’s final hours, determining the medical cause of death and assessing the allegations made by her relatives.
For Nadia’s grieving family, the immediate priority is to establish how the young expectant mother died and whether anyone was responsible.
They have demanded a fair and thorough investigation, along with legal action against anyone found to have been involved in her death.
Police have said efforts to locate the accused are continuing, while the family awaits the post-mortem findings that could provide crucial answers about Nadia’s death.
