Pregnant woman dies ‘setting herself on fire’ in city

PBC News: A pregnant woman who has reportedly committed suicide by soaking her body with kerosene and then setting herself on fire at a house at Bagicha in the city’s Shahjahanpur died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) early Wednesday.

Meem Akter, 18, breathed her last at the intensive care unit of Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute at about 5:45am, said Bachchhu Mia, in charge of the DMCH police camp.

Quoting the doctors, he said Meem was  four months’ pregnant. Almost 95% of her body was burnt in the fire.

Family said Meem tried to commit suicide in sequel to an altercation with her husband Rummon at about 12:30pm on Saturday. Later, she was rushed to the Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute and was admitted there.

Police detained Rummon from the hospital following her death.

Meem’s mother said her son-in-law’s has flexiload and laundry shop at Gulbagh in Shahjahanpur. Many women go to that shop everyday. He has developed love affair with one of them. There was an between her daughter and son-in-law over the matter. At one stage, her daughter set herself on fire by putting kerosene on her.

The woman also said Meem had married Rummon after a love affair some three years ago. She also tried to commit suicide by drinking Harpic six months ago being unable to tolerate her husband’s torture and repression. After treatment, she then took her daughter to her house. Later, she was sent to her husband’s Bagicha house.