A housewife sustained severe burn injuries after her husband allegedly set her on fire over a trifling matter at Chakai-Moricha village in Abhaynagar upazila of Jashore on Thursday morning.

The victim is identified as Hira Begum, 33, hailing from the area.

The criminal Billal Sarder, son of Akkas Ali Sarder, from the same area, went into hiding after the incident.

Hira Begum, who was undergoing treatment at the burn unit of Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH), said Billal locked in an altercation with her this morning. At one stage of the argument, Billal suddenly set her on fire pouring kerosene and fled, leaving her seriously burnt.

Hearing Hira’s screams, neighbours rushed to the spot and took her to Abhaynagar Upazila Health Complex, in critical condition.

Later, doctors of the health complex send her to KMCH as her condition.