Police in Sharsha upazila of Jashore have cracked a murder mystery after one month by recovering the decomposed body of a missing youth from beneath the floor of a cowshed and arresting a couple suspected of being involved in the killing.
The body of Ekramul Kabir was recovered on Saturday evening from Bosotpur village during a police raid.
At that time, the law enforcers arrested Munni Akhter, 22, and her husband Al Fuad in connection with the killing.
Police said Ekramul, son of Abdur Rashid, had been missing since April 8 after allegedly going to meet Munni Akhter, with whom he reportedly had a relationship.
A case was later filed with the court by the victim’s father against five named individuals and five other unnamed ones.
According to the complaint, Munni allegedly trapped Ekramul and forcibly took him to a marriage registrar’s office, where she arranged a marriage against his will.
The complaint further claimed that Munni had previously married several young men in a similar manner, allegedly collecting money from them before later divorcing them.
Within just one month of marrying Ekramul, she allegedly obtained Tk 10.7 lakh from him through deception. She and her associates were also accused of threatening Ekramul and his family and pressuring them to transfer ownership of two bighas of land.
According to the case statement, Munni called the complainant and demanded Tk 20 lakh as ransom, threatening that he would not be found alive if the money was not paid.
During the investigation, police detained Al Fuad for questioning. Based on information obtained during interrogation, law enforcers conducted a raid on the couple’s house in Bosotpur village on Saturday evening.
Police then dug up the floor of a cowshed on the property and recovered Ekramul’s decomposed body buried under the ground, unraveling the disappearance mystery.
Following the recovery, police arrested both Al Fuad and his wife Munni Akhter in connection with the murder.
Investigators suspect financial disputes linked to an illicit relationship may have triggered the killing.
According to preliminary findings, the victim had allegedly lent money to Munni and was later murdered as he demanded repayment.
The body was then buried beneath the cowshed floor in an apparent attempt to destroy evidence.
Officer-in-Charge of Sharsha Police Station Maruf Hossain said the body has been sent to Jashore General Hospital for autopsy.
“We have successfully uncovered the murder mystery and arrested two suspects. Further interrogation is underway to determine whether others were involved,” the OC said.