Police arrested Chandpur district Awami League Joint General Secretary Zahirul Islam and his second wife, Zulekha Begum, on the charges of murdering his first wife, on Monday night.

Zahirul's first wife Shahin Sultana Fancy, 55, a member of the district AL women's wing and principal of Faridganj Gollak Degree College, was killed with a sharp weapon in her first floor residence, adjacent to Shologhor Pucca Masjid, within 300 yards of Chandpur police super office, sometime between 8:00pm and 10:00pm.

Locals alleged that Zahirul killed Fancy at around 8:00pm, leaving the body in his room. He then went out, bought a packet of cigarettes from a local shop, strolled down the road, and went to pray Taraweeh at a nearby mosque.

At around 10:00pm, he came back home and alleged that his wife had been killed while he was away.

Upon receiving information from locals, police rushed to the spot, along with AL leaders, at 11:00pm and made an inquest of the body. They did not allow anybody inside the room until 2:00am and worked to solve the murder.

Officials from Chandpur Model police and Detective Branch of police then arrested Zahirul and his second wife Zulekha.

Sources said that Zahirul secretly married for the second time three years ago and lived at Nazir Para in the town with his second wife. He and his first wife would often quarrel about his second marriage.

Ruma Akhter, a neighbour living in the same building, said at around 10:00pm on the night of the incident, she heard a loud sound of a door closing in Zahirul's apartment. She later saw police arrive and take out Fancy's body.

Fancy's elder brother Naimuddin said that after marrying Zulekha, Zahirul would often be physically violent with his sister. But they did not protest as she had three daughters to raise.

However, Former President of District Bar Association Advocate Saleem Akbar and district AL membe: Sajeda Kakon claimed that during the incident Zahirul was offering Taraweeh prayers at Shologhor WAPDA mosque. They said Fancy went out for a walk and after she came back home, unidentified persons hacked her with a sharp weapon and killed her. When her husband returned, he found his wife's body or the floor.

Chandpur Model Police Station Officer-In-Charge (OC) Wali Ullah said this was a planned murder.

He added that the victim's brother Forkan Uddin, yesterday filed a murder case accusing Zahirul, Zulekha, Zahirul's younger brother Nayan and his sister Runa. Zahirul and Zulekha were produced in court and sent to jail. The other two accused were on the run.

Shahin Sultana Fancy hailed from Moishadi village in Moishadi union of Chandpur Sadar upazila. Two of her three daughters are abroad and one is staying in Comilla.