Husband Sentenced to Death for Dowry Murder

A court in Jamalpur has sentenced a man to death for the brutal killing of his wife over a dowry demand, bringing a case that had remained in the judicial process for more than a decade to its conclusion. Alongside the capital punishment, the court also imposed a fine of Tk 500,000 on the convicted man.

The verdict was delivered on Monday (20 July) by Judge Muhammad Abdur Rahim of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1 under the Jamalpur District and Sessions Judge’s Court.

The convicted man, Hafizul, is the son of the late Prodhan and a resident of Merurchar in Bakshiganj Upazila of Jamalpur district.

According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on the morning of 4 September 2012. Hafizul allegedly subjected his wife, Hanufa Begum, to severe physical abuse following a dispute over dowry before ultimately killing her. Dowry-related violence remains a serious criminal offence in Bangladesh, where such incidents continue to raise widespread concern despite legal safeguards intended to protect women from abuse and exploitation.

After learning of Hanufa Begum’s death, her family travelled from Bhola to collect her body. Her mother, Amena Begum, later filed a murder case with Bakshiganj Police Station on 19 September 2012, naming five individuals as accused in connection with the killing.

During the trial, the court examined witness testimonies and other evidence presented by both the prosecution and the defence. After considering the evidence placed before it, the tribunal found sufficient grounds to convict Hafizul for the murder of his wife. The court sentenced him to death and ordered him to pay a financial penalty of Tk 500,000. Four other accused individuals were acquitted after the tribunal found that the evidence presented against them was insufficient to establish their involvement beyond reasonable doubt.

Following the verdict, Advocate Fazlul Haque, the public prosecutor of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1, welcomed the judgment. He said that although more than twelve years had passed since the crime was committed, justice had ultimately been served through the judicial process.

He also expressed hope that the ruling would serve as a strong deterrent against dowry-related violence and reinforce the message that crimes committed in the name of dowry demands will face the full force of the law. The judgment, he added, should stand as a reminder of the need for continued efforts to eliminate dowry practices and protect women from abuse within their homes.