A human chain was held in Ulipur, Kurigram, demanding a fair investigation and justice for the murder of housewife Rokaiya Akhter Rinki. The human chain was organized by the victim’s family and locals at Gaba intersection in the municipal town on Sunday (August 23) afternoon. The relatives expressed their anger that the accused had not been identified and arrested even after three years of the incident. After the human chain, more than two hundred men and women took out a protest march demanding the arrest of the accused and submitted a memorandum to the UNO and OC offices.

The deceased housewife’s mother Masuda Begum, aunt Lipi Begum, locals Fakrul Islam, Chand Mia, Pandul Union BNP General Secretary Ziaul Haque Badal, among others, spoke during the human chain. The speakers in the human chain said that even after 3 years of the incident, the case has not been properly investigated and the real accused have not been identified. The speakers claimed that some unknown people, including her husband, may have been involved in the murder of housewife Rinki. They demanded that the real criminals be arrested and handed over to the court to ensure justice.

Ulipur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Saeed Ibn Siddique admitted to receiving the memorandum and said that the case is currently being investigated by the CID. I was working in another police station at the time of the incident. We will start working soon to uncover the real incident. Upazila Executive Officer ATM Arif said that we have received the memorandum. The matter will be reported to higher officials. It is worth noting that on the morning of August 13, 2023, relatives found the body of newlywed Rokaiya Akhter Rinki (19), daughter of Rezaul Karim, with her throat slit in the bedroom of her father’s house in the Telipara area of Pandul Union of the upazila.

At that time, the family members found 16-17 injury marks on the body. Later, the father of the deceased filed a case against unknown accused at Ulipur Police Station. About 6 months before the murder, Rinki got married to an army member from the Majhabil area of Parshvati Dharanibari Union. The housewife came to her father’s house from her in-laws’ house to visit her ailing grandmother and was murdered.