Afrin’s family alleges that her husband, Saiful Islam, killed her and staged the scene to look like a suicide by hanging her body from a ceiling fan. However, the police have not registered a murder case against Saiful. Instead, they have arrested him on charges of abetting suicide.
The police stated that if the autopsy report indicates evidence of murder, the current case of abetment to suicide will be converted into a murder case. According to police and family sources, Afrin married Saiful Islam seven years ago, and they have a two-year-old son. The couple lived in a rented apartment on the seventh floor of a building in South Manda’s First Lane.
On Wednesday, Afrin and Saiful had an argument. Later that afternoon, Saiful went to Afrin’s father’s house and informed him that Afrin had committed suicide by hanging herself with a scarf from the ceiling fan. Afrin’s father, Anwarul Islam, informed Mugda Police Station, after which the police recovered the body and sent it to Dhaka Medical College Hospital’s morgue for an autopsy.
Anwarul Islam, Afrin’s father, told Prothom Alo, “After the marriage, we learned that Saiful was unemployed and addicted to drugs. He pressured Afrin to get money from me every month to run the household and for his addiction. He also physically abused her for money and had an extramarital affair.” He alleged, “Saiful beat Afrin to death and staged it as a suicide by hanging her body from the ceiling fan.” He further noted that although it was claimed Afrin hanged herself, her feet were touching the bed, and the bedroom door was found open when the police recovered the body.
Mugda Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge (OC) Sajedur Rahman told Prothom Alo on Friday evening, “There is suspicion surrounding Afrin’s death, but there are no eyewitnesses to the incident. Hence, a case of abetment to suicide has been filed against Saiful, and he has been arrested and sent to jail. If the autopsy report confirms the cause of death as murder, the case will be converted into a murder case.”
