A 28-year-old woman named Sharifa Akhter was fatally stabbed by her ex-husband inside the Dharmapasha Senior Judicial Magistrate Court premises in Sunamganj on Monday morning. The attack took place around 10:30 a.m. while Sharifa was waiting for her lawyer with her three-year-old daughter. She was rushed to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, where she died later that afternoon.
According to police and local sources, Sharifa, originally from Deothan village in Netrokona’s Mohanganj upazila, had married Akhter Hossain (40) of Kandapara village, Dharmapasha, ten years ago. Their marriage had been troubled for the past year, and the couple divorced six months ago. Akhter recently filed a custody case over their daughter, and Monday was the scheduled court appearance.
Witnesses said Akhter suddenly approached Sharifa from behind and stabbed her in the back. As she tried to flee, he struck again before being restrained by bystanders. Locals captured him on the spot, confiscated the knife, and handed him over to the police. Sharifa’s uncle, Md. Ripon Mia, said she had left her husband after enduring prolonged domestic violence. “She came to court for her daughter’s custody hearing,” he said. “Instead, she was murdered in front of everyone.”
Dharmapasha Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Enamul Haque confirmed that the accused is in custody and the murder weapon has been recovered. The victim’s family has demanded capital punishment, calling the killing a horrifying example of ongoing violence against women even within judicial premises—spaces meant to ensure justice and safety.
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