Student's body recovered from Cumilla flat; family allege murder
Kotwali Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Touhidul Anwar said, “Primarily, it appears to be a suicide, but the actual cause of death can only be confirmed after receiving the autopsy report.”
Police recovered the hanging body of a student from a flat in Cumilla city last night (5 May).
The deceased, Jannatun Naeem Fariha, 23, was a student of the Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) department at CCN University of Science and Technology, confirmed Kotwali Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Touhidul Anwar.
The OC said police recovered the body from a flat in the Munsef Bari area of Monohorpur and sent it to the morgue today (6 May) for autopsy.
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He added, "Primarily, it appears to be a suicide, but the actual cause of death can only be confirmed after receiving the autopsy report."
The victim's family has alleged that it was a planned murder.
According to family members, Fariha, the elder daughter of schoolteacher Md Hanif Mia from Kandal village in Nangalkot upazila, married Mehedi Hasan Hridoy, from Meghna upazila, around eight months ago through a family arrangement.
After marriage, Hridoy went to China on a scholarship but returned to Bangladesh after allegedly failing to succeed there.
Since then, marital disputes reportedly began between the couple over unemployment and financial support, family members said.
On Monday (4 May), Fariha returned to her husband's residence in Cumilla from her father's house. A day later, news of her death emerged.
Fariha's father, Hanif Mia alleged that Hridoy frequently assaulted and tortured his daughter.
He also claimed that Hridoy had earlier threatened to kill her and serve jail time if necessary.
Hanif Mia alleged that Fariha was murdered and then hanged to stage it as suicide, and demanded a proper investigation and justice.
Sources at the university's CSE department said Fariha was studying in the sixth semester and was known as a talented and quiet student.
University Registrar Professor Md Jamal Naser said, "Fariha was one of our brightest students. Her death is extremely painful. We demand a proper investigation into the incident and appropriate justice."
OC Touhidul said that Fariha's husband has remained absconding since the incident, and police are trying to arrest him.
The victim's family is also preparing to file a case, he added.
