Man gets death for killing wife with hot oil over dowry dispute

A Dhaka court has sentenced a man to death for killing his wife by pouring hot oil on her following a dispute over dowry in 2023.

Judge Munshi Md Moshiur Rahman of the Dhaka Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-4 delivered the verdict on Sunday.

The convict, Mizan Sardar, was also fined Tk 100,000.

According to court documents, Mizan poured boiling soybean oil over his wife, Mim Akter Rupa, at their home in the Khalkpar area of South Keraniganj’s Kadamtoli on May 6, 2023. Around 40 percent of her body was burnt.

Their two children also suffered minor injuries in the incident. Rupa died from her injuries on May 25 that year while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Before the sentencing, Mizan was produced in court. After the verdict was announced, he was sent back to prison, said Public Prosecutor Ershad Alam George.According to the case dossier, Mizan and Rupa had been married for 10 years and had a son and a daughter. Throughout their marriage, Mizan physically and mentally abused Rupa.

In an effort to ensure his daughter’s wellbeing, Rupa’s father Jahangir Alam gave Mizan Tk 2 million to purchase land and an additional Tk 700,000 to open a shop.

Despite receiving these, Mizan demanded more dowry. When Rupa refused, the abuse escalated. She endured it for the sake of her children.

Then, on the night of May 6, 2023, Mizan pressured Rupa for more dowry at their Khalkpar home. After an argument, Rupa went to bed with her two children. Around 3am, Mizan heated soyabean oil and poured it over her body as she slept.

Following the incident, Rupa’s father filed a case with Keraniganj Model Police Station on May 9, initially accusing Mizan of abuse over dowry. After Rupa’s death, the charges were elevated to murder related to dowry.

Sub-Inspector Sharajit Kumar Ghosh of Keraniganj Model Police Station submitted the chargesheet to the court on July 31, 2023. On Feb 12, 2024, the court framed charges against Mizan and opened the trial.

During the proceedings, the court heard the testimonies of 12 out of 19 listed witnesses.