A dispute arising from a prior acquaintance and relationship led to the murder of a couple and their newborn child in Ashulia, the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has said. A man identified as Moniruzzaman alias Hridoy, 44, has been arrested in connection with the incident.
According to the PBI, Hridoy confessed to his involvement in the killings during interrogation and subsequently recorded a confessional statement in court. PBI Dhaka District Superintendent of Police (SP) MN Morshed disclosed these details during a press conference at the PBI Dhaka District office in the city’s Uttara on Wednesday.
Morshed said on 5 September, local residents alerted police after detecting a foul odour from Room No 56 on the second floor of Hazrat Ali’s house in the Jamgara area of Ashulia. Ashulia Police Station officers unlocked the room and recovered the semi-decomposed bodies of a man, a woman, and a newborn child.
The deceased were identified as Alamgir Kabir, 45, his wife Najma Khatun, 39, and their newly born child. Alamgir hailed from Nawabganj in Dinajpur, whilst Najma was also from the Boro Magura area of the same upazila.
Najma’s elder sister, Shapla Begum, filed a murder case against unidentified persons at Ashulia Police Station on 6 September.
The SP noted that the Dhaka District PBI launched a shadow investigation immediately following the incident. As the case falls under the PBI’s scheduled offences, the agency officially assumed responsibility for the investigation on 8 September on its own initiative.
Based on intelligence, Hridoy was subsequently arrested in the Narasinghapur area of Ashulia.
Following information provided by Hridoy, investigators recovered the deceased Najma’s used Android mobile phone, SIM card, office identity card, and purse from his rented house.
Citing the investigation and the accused’s confession, the PBI stated that Alamgir and Hridoy were previously acquainted. Hridoy ran a vegetable business. The investigation revealed that Hridoy had been in a relationship with Alamgir’s wife, Najma, prior to her marriage.
A dispute arose between Alamgir and Hridoy after Alamgir became aware of the matter.
According to the PBI, on the day of the incident, Najma and Alamgir went to Hridoy’s residence and brought him to their home. An argument and physical altercation broke out over the past relationship. At one point, Najma hit Hridoy with a broom, prompting a scuffle between them.
The PBI stated that Najma fell to the ground after being pushed and kicked by Hridoy. In his court statement, Hridoy mentioned that Najma and her unborn child died as a result.
Alamgir then struck Hridoy with a spatula and a pipe, triggering a further struggle. At one stage, Hridoy strangled Alamgir to death by wrapping a gamcha (traditional towel) around his neck, the PBI said.
Following the murders, Hridoy fled the scene after placing all three bodies on the bed. Before escaping, he took Najma’s mobile phone, SIM card, office identity card, and purse.
The PBI further disclosed that Hridoy had previously been charge-sheeted as a suspect in another murder case filed at Ashulia Police Station in 2022, in which a charge sheet was submitted against him in 2023.
Morshed said that the investigation progressed by examining the victims’ acquaintances, relationships, and movements, which ultimately solved the mystery, led to the suspect’s arrest, and allowed the recovery of evidence. He added that officers are investigating whether any other individual was involved in the crime, and the investigation remains ongoing.
