Husband 'strangles wife to death' in Pabna

Two days after she went missing, the body of a newly married woman was found on the banks of the Icchamoti River in the Sathia municipality area of Pabna on Saturday.

The deceased is Kanij Fatema, 20, wife of Rakibul Islam of Fesuan Moholla, a resident of the municipality area. Police said she was killed by her husband.

Additional superintendent of Pabna, Masud Alam, told the local media that Rakibul married off Fatema eight months ago.

On 28 April, Rakibul dropped his wife at her parent's place, with a promise to take her back before the festival, Eid u-Fitr. On 13 May, Rakibul called his wife to take her out on a trip. He had also asked her wife not to reveal "the plan" to anyone, the police officer said.

Rakibul did pick up her wife a day later and allegedly strangled her to death with a scarf near Karamja bridge. He later dumped the body on the banks of the river.

Unable to find Fatema, her father Abdul Quader lodged a missing person's complaint at Bera police station on Friday. "Cops picked up Rakibul for questioning and he confessed to killing her in police custody," the additional SP said.

Fatema's body was recovered on Saturday morning and sent to the local hospital morgue for autopsy, police said.