Wedding celebration planned for December or January, but Barsha dies beforehand

Jumratun Nessa Barsha, 24, had been in a relationship with Nabid Hossain, but her parents had objected to it. However, as their daughter was very serious about the relationship, they eventually arranged her marriage to Nabid through a private 'kabin' ceremony on 7 October 2025.

During the year they lived together as husband and wife, Barsha was allegedly subjected to abuse by Nabid several times. He also repeatedly took money from her parents, citing business needs. Even so, Barsha kept returning to him. Their formal wedding celebrations was supposed to take place in December or January. But Barsha died before that could happen.

Members of Barsha’s family said Nabid was beating her even around midnight last Tuesday. Unable to endure the abuse, Barsha made a video call to her father, Sheikh Monowar Hossain, at around 12 midnight and screamed, “Father, come and save me.” Her parents reached her in-laws’ home within 15 to 20 minutes. But when they arrived, Nabid’s family told them that Barsha had “committed suicide”. Later, when her body was taken to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital in the capital, doctors declared her dead.

Barsha’s family refuses to accept the incident as a suicide. Her mother, Hasina Akter, told Prothom Alo today, Thursday, “This cannot be suicide. If my daughter had wanted to kill herself, she would not have called us. In her last video call, she was screaming, ‘Father, come and save me.’”

Barsha’s father, Sheikh Monowar Hossain, filed a murder case with Tejgaon Police Station over the incident. On the night of the incident, Barsha’s family handed Nabid over to the police at Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Tejgaon Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Muniruzzaman said Nabid Hossain had beaten Barsha at various times over demands for dowry. Marks of injuries were found on her body. Her father filed a case in connection with the incident, and Nabid was subsequently arrested at the hospital.

Studies stopped before marriage, abuse followed

Sheikh Monowar Hossain and Hasina Akter have three daughters. Barsha was the second. After completing her higher secondary education, she enrolled in the first year of her undergraduate programme at Tejgaon College in Dhaka for the 2024–25 academic year. She met Nabid Hossain while studying at the college, and they developed a romantic relationship. Barsha later told her parents about the relationship.

Barsha’s mother, Hasina Akter, said, “We did not want Barsha to marry Nabid. We tried to make her understand that he was not a good person. But our daughter was determined to marry him. Eventually, the two families were present when they got married in a private ceremony. A few days before the marriage, Nabid stopped my daughter from studying. He did not want her to continue her education.”

Hasina Akter said Nabid’s mother was also keen to have Barsha as her daughter-in-law. She said, “Nabid’s mother, Nurun Nahar, would call every other day and say, ‘Get the kabin done. The boy and girl are going around together, and that is not good. If something happens, we will not be able to show our faces. Get the kabin done now; hold the ceremony later.’ That is why, on 7 October 2025, a kazi was brought in and the marriage was solemnised privately in the presence of Nabid’s parents and us. The formal ceremony was never held afterwards. We were supposed to arrange a celebration this December or January and give the groom a ring, furniture and other things.”

Nabid had previously ‘split Barsha’s head open’

Nabid Hossain allegedly abused Barsha frequently. Speaking to family members, it was learnt that Nabid had once beaten Barsha so badly that he split her head open, six or seven months ago. Barsha’s mother, Hasina Akter, said, “At that time, we took Barsha to Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital and had her head stitched. The hospital also collected information from the police. But after we brought her home from the hospital, Barsha told her father, ‘Leave it, Father. Don’t say anything to him.’ My daughter would not let us take any action against Nabid. So we did not pursue a case or any legal action.”

The family alleges that Nabid also assaulted Barsha on several other occasions. Her mother, Hasina Akter, said Nabid was suspicious of Barsha and did not want her to talk to anyone. Barsha would often call her father and say, “Father, come and take me away. I will not stay here any longer.” But within two days, if Nabid called her, she would return to him.

Barsha’s mother said, “My daughter did not tell us everything. Whenever we noticed something, we would explain to her that this was no way to live and that people could marry twice. We told her to leave him. But she would say Nabid would change for the better, that they were doing fine and so on. We cannot say what was going on in her mind. Even if we brought her home and kept her there, she would run back to him. My daughter was madly in love with him.”

Money demands began soon after the marriage

Barsha’s father, Sheikh Monowar Hossain, is involved in the business of buying and selling land. The family lives in Lalbagh, where they also own two flats which they rent out. Relatives said Nabid Hossain began asking Barsha’s father for money, citing business needs, just a few days after marrying her.

Barsha’s mother, Hasina, said, “Nabid started asking for money a few days after the marriage. He would tell Barsha, ‘I will start a business. Ask your father to give me Tk 100,000.’ My husband’s income is no longer what it used to be because of his illness. Even so, Nabid took money from him many times in this way. My daughter was very close to her father. He would give her whatever she asked for. I would often get angry about it. That is why she did not tell me about these matters.”

Barsha’s mother said Nabid’s parents were also financially well-off. Nabid would take money from them as well. Hasina Akter said, “Perhaps he has some bad habits. The way Nabid beat my daughter, I do not think it would have been possible unless he was addicted to something. Nabid would also quarrel with his own parents. So they could not do anything to him either. Whenever Barsha returned to our home in anger after being beaten, her mother-in-law would say, ‘Send Barsha back. The risk is ours.’”

Prothom Alo tried to contact Nabid Hossain’s father, Manjur Hossain, and mother, Nurun Nahar, by mobile phone to learn their response to the allegations made by Barsha’s family. They did not answer despite repeated calls. The reporter later sent them text messages identifying himself. They then switched off their mobile phones.