She was not lucky enough this time when she came under acid attack by her spurned suitor, who had been successful to burn her face on the fourth go after three futile attempts in a month.
Newly wed Kakoli Khatun, who was attacked on Thursday night, is now fighting for life at burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).Hafiz Uddin of Nischiyantabaria under Khoksa upazila in Kushtia threw acid on Kakoli, wife of Panju Mia of Boriochara village in the upazila, through a window when she along with her husband was taking preparation to go to bed at her husband’s house around 10:30pm.
She sustained severe burn injuries on the left side of her face and left hand. Panju also sustained burn injuries on his hand.
Critically injured Kakoli, daughter of farmer Kamrul Islam of Nischiyantabaria in the upazila, was rushed to Kushtia Medical College Hospital on the night. She was referred to the DMCH on Friday.
Kamrul said Hafiz had also previously attempted to throw acid on his daughter thrice after being refused to marry her. He went to police to file cases against Hafiz after the second and third attempts. But police refused to receive case, and advised him to solve the matter through village arbitration.
Sources said police did not dare to file case against Hafiz as he is an employee of a sawmill of Khoksa Upazila Chairman Sadar Uddin Khan, also Awami League (AL) central working committee member. Hafiz himself is also known as an AL activist.
Police, however, received the case yesterday after Kakoli received severe burn injuries in the acid attack at the fourth attempt.
“Police has filed the case when my daughter’s life is ruined by the brutal acid attack,” helpless Kamrul lamented.
Contacted, Horendranath Sarkar, officer-in-charge (OC) of Khoksa Police Station, said, “We have to investigate the matter to find out the reason behind the incident.”
When asked about the delay in Hafiz’s arrest, Mofiz Uddin Ahmed, superintendent of police in Kushtia, said he had ordered to arrest the culprit.
According to the case statement, Kakoli was a student of class seven at Shomospur High School.
Hafiz had proposed Kakoli, which she denied. But Hafiz continued disturbing her on her way to school, the statement said.
As a result, she stopped going to school. In the meantime, Hafiz proposed to marry her, which was also turned down. Infuriated, Hafiz threatened to change the girl’s face throwing acid.
Following the threat, Kakoli’s father married her off to Panju Mia on August 16.
Out of revenge, Hafiz threw acid on Kakoli for the first time on the night of August 23 when she was sleeping at her father’s house — the first visit after the marriage. The attempt was misdirected.
Kakoli also came under acid attack at her husband’s house on August 30 and September 7, but narrowly escaped.
-With The Daily Star input
