Sister allegedly killed for her gold earrings in Naogaon; brother and sister-in-law among five arrested

In Dhamoirhat, Naogaon, a woman named Halima Begum (65) was allegedly killed by her younger brother and his wife out of greed for her gold earrings. Police said the body was left in a low-lying spot by a pond to conceal it. Five people, including the victim's younger brother and his wife, have been arrested in the incident.

The arrested are the victim's younger brother Majnu (56), his wife Hosneara, Aminur Rahman (39), Rabiul Islam (39) and Mosharraf Hossain (42). Police said several of them admitted during initial questioning to being involved in the killing.

Superintendent of Police Tarikul Islam shared the information in a press release sent from the Naogaon superintendent's office on Wednesday (21 October) afternoon.

The superintendent said that on 19 October, local people found Halima Begum's body lying in a paddy field in front of a house in Silimpur (Talbon) village of Dhamoirhat upazila. Police later recovered the body from the scene.

A murder case was filed at Dhamoirhat police station that same day against unidentified persons. Acting on technology and local information, police then arrested three people first and two more later.

Citing the preliminary investigation, the press release said that at around 11pm on 18 October, Halima Begum was called out of her home as part of a plan. She was taken behind a paddy field about 200 yards from the house and strangled with a rope.

According to police, after the killing, her earlobes were cut off to take the earrings. The accused then left the body in a low-lying place by a pond to hide it. Her hands were untied and her face was disfigured with a blunt weapon.

Based on information given by the arrested persons, police recovered the bloodstained rope, a scarf and the blunt weapon used in the killing.

Police said they are examining whether anyone else was involved in the incident. Further legal steps will follow if new information emerges in the investigation.

The alleged killing of a sister has caused a stir in the area. Local attention will now be on how the legal process against the arrested persons proceeds and what happens in the next stages of the case in court.