Father ‘wanted son’, burns baby girl alive

A father has burnt alive his baby daughter, allegedly upset that his wife gave birth to a girl instead of a boy in Narayanganj, an adjacent district of capital Dhaka.

The deceased was Jannatul, nine months old, reports our local correspondent quoting a complaint filed at Sonargaon Police Station in this connection.

Jahirul Islam, an electrician and son of Sikom Ali in Sonargaon upazila, was married to Kulsum Begum last year, said Sazia Begum, mother of the latter.

He was enraged over the birth of the girl and wanted a boy, she said. “A family feud was persisting over this matter for some time before he burned his daughter on July 30.”

According to the complaint, Jahirul poured petrol over the baby girl and set her on fire. He did not take the girl to a hospital, which led to the infant’s death this morning.

Kulsum Begum told The Daily Star, her husband was an addict and used to abuse her frequently. She requested authorities to ensure justice for the murder of her daughter.

Sonargaon Police Station Inspector Sheikh Mofizul Islam recovered the body of the baby this afternoon and sent it to Narayanganj General Hospital for autopsy.

The station’s Officer-in-Charge Morshed Alam said the complaint was accepted and that the police were trying to arrest the accused and his family, all of whom are now absconding.