Accused held
A pregnant school teacher was stabbed to death for resisting unwanted amorous advances by a Jubo League activist in Agoiljhara upazila of Barisal yesterday.
Police arrested Sirajul Islam alias Abul Gomosta, 35 in this connection. According to locals, he is known as an errant figure with a position in the upazila unit youth wing of ruling Awami League.
The victim, Sharmin Akhtar Shimu, 27, was the four-month-pregnant wife of army person Sohel Talukdar of Magura village under Rajihar union. A teacher of Purba Shujonkathi Government Primary School, Sharmin was the daughter of Shahjahan Sarder of Shanuhar village under Goila union.
Gomosta of the same Shanuhar village is also married and known to be a drug addict, locals said.
Agitated over the death, Sharmin’s colleagues and locals staged a demonstration in the area demanding capital punishment to the killer and announced a mourning programme and closure of primary schools in Agoiljhara today.
Locals and witnesses said Gomosta intercepted Sharmin around 4:15pm yesterday on her way to home from school. They engaged in altercation and when she refused to agree to marry him and he slapped her on the face.
As she protested the assault, Gomosta stabbed her repeatedly and fled the scene.
Locals rescued Sharmin and took her to Goila Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared her dead at 5:00pm.
Later, police raided different places and arrested Gomosta from Gupter Haat area in the evening.
Sharmin’s body was sent to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital for autopsy, said Ashok Kumar Nandi, officer-in-charge of Agoiljhara Police Station.
The victim’s family said being fed up of Gomosta’s relentless stalking, they married her off to Sohel when she was just 17 years’ old and lodged several general diaries with Agoiljhara Police Station.
Upazila Awami League Convenor Yusuf Molla had warned Gomosta several times over harassing Sharmin, said one of her family members.
Courtesy of The Daily Star
