First Wife Abroad, Second Wife’s Relatives Allegedly Demolish Home

A family dispute in Chuadanga’s Alamdanga upazila has reportedly escalated into an unusual act of destruction, with relatives of a man’s second wife allegedly using a bulldozer to demolish his house after he left the country with his first wife.

The incident reportedly took place at around 10am on Sunday in Khejurtala village, where the home of expatriate Rafiquddin, son of the late Ramzan Ali, was allegedly demolished amid growing tensions over his marital relationships.

According to local sources, Rafiquddin initially married Sonia Khatun, daughter of Shahidul Islam, from the same village. The couple later experienced difficulties in their relationship while Rafiquddin was living in Malaysia for an extended period. Local residents claimed that during this period, Sonia left with an Italian expatriate. The matter was subsequently addressed through a local mediation process involving the police, after which Sonia reportedly continued living with the man.

Rafiquddin later returned to Bangladesh and married Rima Khatun, daughter of Mukul Hossain, also from the same village. The couple reportedly lived together for about a year. However, according to local accounts, Rafiquddin later renewed his relationship with his first wife, Sonia, and eventually travelled to Malaysia with her.

The development allegedly angered Rima’s relatives, who are accused of taking matters into their own hands by bringing in a bulldozer and demolishing Rafiquddin’s house on Sunday morning. The incident has since drawn attention in the locality, with residents expressing concern over the way a private family dispute escalated into the alleged destruction of property.

Borhan Uddin Member, president of the Nagdah Union unit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, said Rima Khatun was known locally as a polite and amiable person and that she should not have been treated in such a manner.

He also criticised the alleged demolition, saying that those aggrieved by the family dispute should have sought legal remedies rather than resorting to vandalism. His remarks reflect wider concerns about the risks of allowing domestic and marital disputes to develop into confrontations involving property damage or public disorder.

Alamdanga Police Station Officer-in-Charge Bani Israil said police were aware of the incident. He said that if a formal complaint was lodged, the authorities would investigate the matter and take legal action in accordance with the findings.

The incident highlights how disputes arising from complex marital relationships can quickly become contentious, particularly when questions of separation, remarriage and family grievances are involved. Any allegation of property damage, however, remains a matter for law enforcement to investigate, while the circumstances surrounding the demolition and the responsibility of those involved will need to be established through due legal process.