Abused, abandoned, arrested: 'Tortured' by in-laws, Bangladeshi woman’s plea for her child ends in Tripura prison

AGARTALA: Separated from her child and allegedly tortured by her in-laws, a 27-year-old Bangladeshi woman, who got married to a man at Sonamura in Tripura’s Sepahijala district five years ago, was sent to jail here on Sunday for illegally staying in the state after she approached a local court to seek help.The woman, identified as Sweety Akter, was brought to the Sonamura police station by a local journalist after she fled her in-laws’ home at Melaghar and reached the Sonamura court complex, locals said. Police said she was produced before a court and, following legal procedure, will be deported to Bangladesh. OC of Sonamura police station Tapas Das said she was arrested under applicable sections of the Indian Passport Act. The court placed her in judicial custody for three days.Sweety said, “I have been requesting my father-in-law to grant me custody of my child so that I can return home, but they refuse to comply. My husband has ceased all communication with me, and I overheard on the phone that he instructed his parents to drive me away from home.”According to Sweety, she met Sagar, a resident of Mohanbhog block in Melaghar, five years ago when he visited his maternal uncle’s home in Bangladesh. After multiple meetings, they stayed in touch through social media and decided to marry. She said she crossed the border illegally to formalize the relationship, and that religious rites were performed in India with the involvement of both families.“After a few days, circumstances began to change swiftly. My husband left for abroad to earn a living. I and my 21-day-old daughter were left in the house of my in-laws. As time progressed, my in-laws began to torment me. I endured physical abuse at the hands of my father-in-law, Kahesm Miah,” she recounted.Sweety alleged that while her complaint against her in-laws is under investigation, no arrests have been made in connection with her allegations.She said she fled to Bangladesh about a year ago, but her in-laws later approached her family with assurances. “They visited my home and assured my family that they would cease their torment. But the severity of the abuse only escalated,” she added.