Teenage bride tortured to death for dowry

Just 11 days into their marriage, a man has allegedly beaten his teenage wife to death in Jessore town for dowry. The victim, Rekha, 15, wife of Jahirul Islam of Kharhki area, was a Grade-VIII student at Tangramari High School. Rekha’s father Abdus Salam of Manirampur Upazila said poverty forced him to marry off his daughter to Jahirul Islam on Nov 19 but his son-in-law demanded Tk 40,000 in dowry several days later. He said his in-laws used to beat up his daughter regularly, even in front of her brother. She was admitted to Jessore Sadar Hospital around Saturday noon in a critical state. ‘I learnt of the torture they inflicted on my daughter from her. She died around midnight,’ Salam said. Police say the groom and his family members had been missing since Saturday. Kotwali police station’s officer Enamul Haq said they were investigating the death, according to a news agency.