Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested a husband within 24 hours of him allegedly stabbing his wife to death in front of their two children in Gazipur's Sreepur after she refused to give him money for drugs.

The accused, Chhayedul Islam, 40, was arrested following the killing of his wife, Nasima Akter, 27, in Sreepur municipality area at around 2:30 am on July 13, Rab-1 Commanding Officer Lt Col Md Neyamul Halim Chowdhury said on Tuesday at Rab's Karwanbazar media centre in the capitalng on Tuesday.

Nasima, daughter of Abdul Mannan of Bonpara village in Purbadhala upazila of Netrokona, worked at a local garment factory. Sayedul is a resident of Girdapara village in Tarakanda upazila of Mymensingh. The couple had been living in a rented house in Sreepur with their eight-year-old daughter and five-year-old son.

Quoting family members, RAB said Chhayedul had long been addicted to drugs and frequently demanded money from his wife to buy illegal drugs, leading to repeated family disputes.

According to RAB, Nasima returned home on July 12 after receiving her salary from the garment factory. Later that night, Sayedul allegedly demanded Tk 3,000 from her. When she refused, an argument broke out, and he allegedly stabbed her repeatedly with a sharp knife, killing her on the spot on early Tuesday morning.

Their two children were inside the house and witnessed the incident, Lt Col Chowdhury said.

He said RAB conducted an operation immediately after the incident and arrested the accused within 24 hours.

He has been handed over to Sreepur Police Station in Gazipur for further legal action.

Replying to a question, the RAB official said Chhayedul had no previous criminal record, although he was a regular drug user who used to take money from his wife to buy drugs.