Five members of a family, including a woman, her three children and her brother, were found dead with their throats slit inside their home in Kapasia upazila, Gazipur, early Saturday morning.
The woman’s husband, a private car driver, is the prime suspect and is currently absconding.
Police recovered the bodies from a rented house in Rautkona village under Sadar union. The victims are Sharmin Khanam, 30, her daughters Mimu Khanam, 15, Umme Habiba, 8, and Faria, 2, and her brother Rasul Mia, 22.
Sharmin’s ancestral home is in Paikkandi area of Gopalganj, while the suspect Forqan Mia is from Meri Gopinathpur in Gopalganj Sadar upazila.
According to police and local sources, Forqan Mia had been living with his family in the ground floor of a house owned by expatriate Monir Hossain for about a year. The killings are believed to have taken place late Friday night.
Locals informed police after discovering the bodies inside the house on Saturday morning. Law enforcement later recovered the bodies from the scene.
Eyewitnesses said the bodies of the three children were found lying on the floor side by side, while Rasul Mia’s body was found on a bed. Sharmin Khanam was found with her hands and mouth tied near a window grill.
Locals also claimed that the accused contacted a relative over phone after the killings, informing him of the incident before fleeing.
Police said they recovered a typed general diary note from the house, in which Forqan Mia accused his wife, in-laws and others of embezzling Tk10 lakh. He also claimed a long-running family dispute over money and alleged that he had been assaulted and threatened earlier this month.
Relatives of the victims said there had been ongoing marital disputes, which had previously been mediated by family elders.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Kapasia-Kaliganj Circle) in Gazipur Mohammad Asaduzzaman said multiple law enforcement agencies, including police, PBI, DB and CID, are working jointly to determine the motive behind the killings.
Kapasia Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shahinur Alam said initial findings suggest the murders may have been triggered by domestic conflict, adding that efforts are underway to arrest the suspect.
The bodies have been sent to Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital for autopsy, and a case is being prepared in connection with the incident.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Tamanna Tasnim, Assistant Commissioner (Land) Nahidul Haque and senior law enforcement officials visited the scene.
