A man accused of killing his former wife in Dhaka’s South Keraniganj was arrested from Patenga in Chattogram after allegedly informing the victim’s relatives about the murder using her mobile phone.
Saiful Hawladar, 30, the sole accused in the murder case, was arrested from the Charpara Lighterghat area under Patenga police station at around 9pm on Monday (5 October), following a joint operation aided by technological tracking, the Special Response Battalion (SRB-10) said.
Saiful, son of Kalam Hawladar of Gopalpur village in Nalchity upazila of Jhalakathi, was arrested in connection with the death of his former wife, Suma Akter, 24. Suma’s mother filed a murder case with South Keraniganj Police Station following the incident.
The details were disclosed at a press briefing at the SRB media centre on Tuesday (6 October). Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police and Assistant Director (Media) Tapan Sarker, speaking on behalf of the battalion commander, confirmed the arrest and outlined the circumstances surrounding the case.
According to the SRB, Saiful and Suma had been married for around five years. The agency said Suma had allegedly faced physical and mental abuse from her husband at different times during their marriage. Their relationship eventually ended in divorce on 9 July.
After the divorce, Suma rented a house in the Nazirbag area of South Keraniganj and began living there. She was also working at a local garment factory to support herself.
The case took a dramatic turn on the night of 24 September. At around 9.30pm, a call was made to Suma’s family from her mobile phone. According to the SRB, Saiful was on the other end of the call and told the family that he had killed Suma and left her body at the rented house in Nazirbag.
Alarmed by the information, Suma’s relatives rushed to the house. They found her body lying inside the residence and informed the police.
Police subsequently recovered the body and sent it to the mortuary of Sir Salimullah Medical College, commonly known as Mitford Hospital, in the capital for post-mortem examination.
Saiful allegedly fled the area following the incident. As the murder generated considerable concern, the SRB launched an operation to locate and arrest him. Investigators used technological assistance to trace his whereabouts before carrying out the operation in Patenga.
The arrest brings the principal accused into police custody, while the murder case now moves forward through the legal process. Authorities have handed Saiful over to the relevant police station for further legal action.
The allegations against him will be subject to investigation and judicial proceedings, with the circumstances surrounding Suma’s death expected to form part of the ongoing case.
