A drug addict allegedly stabbed his wife to death for money at Suhilpur village in Brahmanbaria Sadar upazila early yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Jotsna Begum, 45, daughter of Abdul Mannan of Suhilpur Goutompara area of the upazila. The husband, Abdus Sattar, fled immediately after the incident.

The deceased's maternal uncle Abdur Rahman said Jotsna, mother of four, was married to Abdus Sattar, son of Harun Mia of Behair village of Sadar upazila. Sattar used to be a carpenter but stopped working after he became an addict.

Jotsna had been living in her father's house and maintaining her family by working as a domestic help. She married off one of her daughters in April this year and incurred a huge loan in the process.

On Monday last, Jotsna took a loan of one lakh and forty thousand taka from a local NGO for paying off the money she owed others. Sattar on learning about this loan engaged in a quarrel with Jotsna demanding this money for himself. At one stage he attacked her with a sharp object.

Neighbours on hearing her screams came to her rescue. They rushed her to Brahmanbaria Sadar Hospital but she died on the way.

Brahmanbaria Sadar Model Police Station's officer-in-charge, Md Nabir Hossain confirmed the death and said the body was kept in the hospital morgue. He said no complaint had been filed as yet.

Police were searching for the alleged killer on the run.