Police say they identified Siddhartha Das, arrested over the killing of four members of a family in Rangpur, after finding “numerous scratch marks from a struggle” on his body. However, questions over the police account continue to mount.
Another suspect, Mugdha Das, has also reportedly given a confessional statement before a court under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, admitting involvement in the killings, according to law enforcement agencies.
Questions remain over the manner of the killings, the positions of the four bodies, alleged threats made to Ganapati Chakraborty while he was building his house, and accounts given by relatives.
Another key question is why the suspects allegedly went to Ganapati’s rooftop to take drugs when a nearby three-storey building owned by a man named Debu had vacant space and a rooftop.
Questions have also been raised about the CCTV cameras in the area and whether they were functioning at the time of the incident.
A Facebook Messenger conversation involving victim Agomoni Chakraborty Prarthi has gone viral on social media. In the conversation with a friend, she wrote that there had been no electricity at her house throughout the night while other houses had power.
Relatives of Ganapati Chakraborty have called for investigators to determine whether only the two arrested suspects were involved or whether others also took part in the killings.
Rangpur Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Sanatan Chakraborty told TIMES of Bangladesh that a local source had informed police about scratch marks on Siddhartha’s body.
“These marks appeared to be from a physical struggle between two people. Siddhartha was not at his own house. He was detained from a neighbouring house,” he said.
He said police took Siddhartha to Mugdha’s house, but Mugdha fled. He was arrested about an hour later from a room at Dakhiganj Toot Farm.
The two suspects were questioned face to face and confessed to the killings, the police official said.
Their statements were recorded under Section 164 at Rangpur Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court-2 around 11:30pm on Sunday. Police said both suspects confessed to the killings. They were later sent to jail.
Ganapati Chakraborty taught accounting at Rangpur Zilla School and retired in December 2025. He previously lived in a rented house near the Bangladesh Bank intersection before building his own house in Machuapara around three years ago.
Questions surrounding the killings
A three-storey building owned by Debu stands east of Ganapati’s house. Construction work is ongoing, while a tenant lives in a flat on the eastern side of the second floor. The rest of the building is vacant.
This has raised questions about why the alleged drug users went to Ganapati’s rooftop instead of using the vacant building next door.
Police, however, said Ganapati and the two arrested suspects knew each other. According to the police account, the suspects climbed onto Ganapati’s rooftop from the neighbouring building.
Police said Ganapati was killed first, followed by his wife Pritilata, daughter Agomoni Chakraborty Prarthi and then son Priyam Chakraborty. The killings allegedly took more than an hour.
Ganapati’s sister-in-law Puja Chakraborty said he suddenly began sleeping with the doors locked about two months before his retirement last year. His fifth-grade son Priyam also slept with him.
Biswajit Chakraborty, husband of Ganapati’s niece, said some people had threatened Ganapati while he was constructing the house. “I repeatedly asked him who they were, but he did not tell me. Later, he said the matter had been settled with them. He was a very reserved person,” Biswajit said.
The statement has raised questions over who had threatened Ganapati during the construction of his house.
Who disconnected the electricity?
The lights at Ganapati’s house were off throughout Saturday night, while the family members’ phones were also switched off.
Puja Chakraborty said she went to the house around 9:30pm and found it dark before informing police.
Agomoni spoke to a friend about the matter on Facebook Messenger at 5:50am.
Siddhartha’s father Binoy Das told TIMES that his son had struggled with drug addiction.
“My son was a good boy, but drugs destroyed him. He was not at home after midnight on Thursday. He was at a house in the border area after midnight and returned around 11am the next day,” he said.
Mugdha’s mother Sena Rani Das also said her son’s life had been ruined by drug addiction.
Demand for speedy trial
Teachers and students of Rangpur Zilla School held a procession demanding a speedy trial in the case.
The procession began at around noon from the Zilla School intersection, passed through the city’s main roads and ended at the same location.
Former schoolteacher Shafiar Rahman questioned the police briefing following the arrests.
“After the two were arrested, questions have arisen over the police briefing. Ganapati Chakraborty’s body reportedly remained on the rooftop for two days. Didn’t even a crow go there? Didn’t any smell come out?” he asked.
He also questioned whether two young men could have killed four people.
“Who climbed the electricity pole and disconnected the power line?” he asked.
“Our question is: who switched off the CCTV cameras in that area?” Shafiar said.
