Child of 18 months 'burned to death'

Police suspect foul play and have detained the grandmother and two others. The boy, Al Fatim, was killed in a fire around 3am Friday morning in Jessore's Sadar Upazila's Narendrapur Hamratala area. Sima, 30, his stepmother, is in Khulna Medical College Hospital with burn injuries. Fatim's mother Rozina Khatun said her mother-in-law Monwara Begum Monu, 55, called her on Friday early morning and told her Fatim had died from a fire. Rozina is one of three wives of Al Amin Biswas, who works in Malaysia. She lives with her parents in Bagharpara Upazila. Fatim lived with her. ”Two weeks ago my mother-in-law called to say she was missing Fatim, then came and took him away,” she said. ”Later I called her and asked her to send him back, but she said she won't let her leave.” She and her father believe Monwara set the fire and killed the child. Fatim and Sima were sleeping in the same room. Narendrapur Police Outpost's Sub-Inspector Sohrab Hossain, who visited the spot, said bedding and clothes inside the room had burned down. He also said he had found a petrol container in there. The SI believes someone poured petrol in the room and then set fire to it. ”We may learn the truth once we receive the autopsy report,” he said. For now, police have detained Monwara and her sister Muslima Begum, he added.