Chittagong man stabs female Kabiraj to death for failing to put love spell on girl

A female Kabiraj (herbal medicine practitioner) was stabbed to death and three other women were injured in an attack by a young man at Daspara in Banshkhali upazila of Chittagong on Monday.

The deceased was identified as Fatema Begum, 46, by locals and police.

Police also arrested Ehsan, son of Mohammad Ibrahim alias Badar Amin of the upazila’s Maizpara, in connection to the murder.

Quoting locals, Banshkhali police station OC Shafiqul Kabir said Fatema used to provide herbal medicines and taweez to local people on request.

Ehsan went to Fatema and sought some medicine so that he could influence a girl he loved.

Fatema had reportedly given him a taweez and some coconut water. But that did work and Ehsan also got sick after having the coconut water, said the OC.

Angered by the incident, Ehsan went to Fatema’s house again around 6:30am and sought an explanation.

At one stage, Ehsan hit Fatema with a machete indiscriminately, leaving her seriously injured.

Three others -- Fatema’s daughter Pakhi Akhter, 20, neighbours Rabeya Begum, 25, and Brishti, 10 -- were also injured when they tried to save Fatema.

Later, all four were taken to a local hospital. From there, they were shifted to ChittagongMedical College Hospital where doctors declared Fatemra dead.