In-laws demolish house of Malaysian expatriate in Chuadanga over multiple marriages

The family of a Malaysian expatriate in Bangladesh’s Chuadanga district has seen their home razed to the ground by an excavator in an act of vigilante justice allegedly orchestrated by his in-laws. The destruction of the residence in Khejutala village, located in the Alamdanga sub-district, followed widespread allegations of polygamy and extramarital affairs involving the homeowner, 30-year-old Rafiqul Islam.

A video of the demolition, which went viral on social media on Monday, depicts a crowd watching as the heavy machinery systematically dismantled the structure. Bystanders are seen recording the event on mobile phones, with no visible attempts made to intervene or stop the destruction. The homeowner’s mother, 60-year-old Ayesha Khatun, was found weeping amidst the rubble on Monday, stating that she had begged the perpetrators to pursue legal punishment for her son rather than destroying a house built by his father.

According to local accounts, Rafiqul Islam’s personal life has been marked by repeated marital instability. He had previously married and divorced a local woman named Sonia Khatun twice. About a year ago, following his return from Malaysia, he entered into a new marriage with Reema Khatun. Recent rumors suggested that Rafiqul had secretly remarried his former wife, Sonia, and allegedly relocated her to Malaysia under the guise of traveling to Rajshahi for medical treatment.

This alleged deception incited significant hostility from Reema Khatun’s family. Witnesses report that members of her family threatened the household on Saturday evening. By Sunday, an excavator was transported from the Kushtia Islamic University area to carry out the demolition. While Reema’s father could not be reached for comment, her uncle, Manjur Hossain, acknowledged the community’s collective anger regarding Rafiqul’s conduct. He admitted that while the grievances were widespread, the destruction of the property was an inappropriate response, adding that the family should consider repairing or rebuilding the home.

Alamdanga Police Station officer-in-charge Bani Israil confirmed that no formal complaints have been filed regarding the incident. Authorities have stated that they are prepared to launch an investigation and pursue legal action should a victim officially report the destruction of the property.