Police have recovered the bodies of two siblings from a residence in Dhaka’s Hatirjheel area. Law enforcers suspect food poisoning as the preliminary cause of death.
The deceased were identified as Afrida Chowdhury, 10, and her one‑year‑old brother, Ilham Chowdhury. Their father, Mosleh Uddin Chowdhury, is the general manager of a garment factory, and their mother, Saida Zakawat Ara, is a homemaker. They are from Kotwali upazila of Cumilla.
Around 8:30pm on Saturday, the bodies were recovered from the SHS Tower in Wireless Mor area. They were later sent to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue on Sunday morning for autopsy.
Md Suman Mia, a sub‑inspector of Hatirjheel Police Station, said the inquest reports were prepared, and no visible injury marks were found on either child.
Preliminary investigation indicates that the parents and their two children ate the same meal on Friday evening before going to sleep.
On Saturday morning, Afrida fell ill and was taken to Rushmono Specialized Hospital, where doctors declared her dead around 7am.
After her body was brought home, Ilham began vomiting and became seriously ill. He was taken to Dhaka Community Medical College Hospital in Moghbazar, where he died while receiving treatment on Saturday afternoon.
SI Suman said both parents also became unwell after eating the same food but recovered after treatment. “At this stage, we suspect food poisoning as the cause of death,” he said, adding that it is not yet clear whether the food was cooked at home or bought from outside. “We are investigating the matter in detail, and the exact cause of death will be confirmed after autopsy reports are received,” he added.
The children’s uncle, Touhid Alam Chowdhury, said Afrida was a Class 3 student at Viqarunnisa Noon School on Bailey Road. Her birthday was on 16 December. “We ourselves cannot figure out which food made them sick,” he added.
Golam Mortoja, officer‑in‑charge of Hatirjheel Police Station, said the bodies were sent to the morgue for autopsy. The exact cause of death will be known after the autopsy report, he said.
