"What will happen to my unborn child? What will happen to me? I want justice," an inconsolable Sumaiya Khatun asked, her face turned to the open sky as she stood outside the Jessore Sadar Hospital premises.
Six-month-pregnant Sumaiya had just lost her husband, Ashraful Islam Bipul, 26, to murder.
On Saturday, Ashraful was called by his friends to the city's Shasthitala area around 9:30 pm.
That's where he was hacked to death.
The murder was premeditated and was in the works for months, according to the victim's family members.
Jilted lover, murder in the making
Ashraful Islam Bipul was the son of Akhtar Hossain of the Sheikhhati area of Jashore suburb.
Ashraful worked in a private depot.
His father, Akhtar Hossain, alleged the attacker was a friend of Bipul's from the Shasthitala area of the city, identified as Bappi.
According to the victim's family, Bappi and Sumaiya were married five years ago. They filed for divorce sometime last year.
Afterwards, Sumaiya and Bipul grew closer, and this angered Bappi.
When they got married, Bappi threatened to kill the couple.
The family also accused him of throwing cocktail bombs at Bipul and Sumaiya's home.
Although the matter was reported to the law enforcement agencies, there was no resolution, the family said.
The family alleged that on Saturday, Bappi and his associates called Bipul and then stabbed him.
Locals rescued him and rushed him to the hospital, but by then it was too late.
Mohammad Shakirul Islam, a doctor at the emergency department of Jessore General Hospital, said Bipul had injury marks on multiple parts of his body. He died due to excessive bleeding soon after being admitted.
Police inaction?
"Bappi is a very bad man. We got divorced because we didn't get along with him. Later, I met Bipul and got married. After marriage, Bappi and his family members used to insult me at various times. They would call me and talk nonsense.
"If the police had acted sooner [after receiving complaints about the cocktail bombs hurled at their house], my husband would still be alive," she said.
Speaking to Dhaka Stream, Jashore Kotwali Police Station OC Abul Hasnat said, "There are multiple cases against the deceased Bipul. There is also a case against the accused Bappi. Both are criminals."
"It was learned that Bipul was hacked to death for marrying his friend's divorced wife. The body is in the hospital morgue. The case is under process."
He added, "Multiple police teams are in the field to arrest those involved in the murder. The attackers will be arrested soon."
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