Aminan Rahman, 47, is accused of strangling his wife, Suma Begum, 24, after finding out about her relationship with another man on TikTok. The alleged incident occurred in a Docklands flat in East London on 29 April 2023 and was purportedly witnessed by their children, the Old Bailey court heard.
Prosecutors allege that Rahman then placed Begum’s body, whether alive or dead at the time, into a large suitcase and disposed of it in the River Lea. Her body was found 10 days later. Rahman denies both the murder charge and a prior assault on 6 February 2023.
Begum, who had moved to the UK in 2020 after marrying Rahman remotely, had been communicating with Shahin Miah, 24, whom she met on TikTok. Miah testified that their relationship started as a friendship but quickly became intimate, although they never met in person.
Miah disclosed that he confronted Begum after discovering she was married. Begum confessed not only to her marriage to Rahman but also to another marriage, which she entered into to gain entry to the UK. Despite these revelations, Begum and Miah continued their relationship, making future plans, including discussions about marriage and relocating to London together.
Jurors were shown a distressing video that Begum sent to Miah on 6 February 2023, in which she described being physically assaulted by Rahman. Miah testified that Rahman had threatened to harm Begum’s family in Bangladesh if she reported him to the police.
The trial continues as the court reviews further evidence and testimonies.
