Police recovered the bodies of a family of four, including two children from their home in WAPDA Bihari Camp, Mirpur-11, Dhaka, on Thursday morning.
The deceased were identified as Mohammad Masum, 35; his wife Fatema Akhtar Sumi, 30; their elder son Minhaj, 4; and younger son Asad, 2, said Pallabi Police Station Officer-in-Charge AKM Alamgir Jahan.
The family lived in their own house at B-Block, house-3, WAPDA Building within the camp. Masum worked as a rickshaw puller, while his wife took on domestic jobs in different households.
On Thursday afternoon, on-site reports showed that the family lived on the ground floor of a three-story tin-shed house. A crowd had gathered around the house. Residents reported knocking on the door but receiving no response from inside.
Masum’s cousin, Shah Mannar, told Dhaka Tribune: “They were never in want, and we never heard otherwise. They never asked us for money. We suspect they were killed by suffocation.”
Neighbor Ashraf said: “Around 8am., Masum came to a tea shop with his younger son. Shortly after, I heard that they had died. When I arrived, Masum was hanging from a fan, and his wife and children were lying on the floor. Masum was a very good person and had no conflicts with anyone. They were not in want.”
Another neighbor, Iqbal, added: “They did not die from poverty. They didn’t have to pay rent, and the children did not attend school. In the morning, I heard commotion from their home. A short while later, I learned they had died.”
OC Alamgir told Dhaka Tribune that: “There were no signs of poverty or conflict. Masum used to save with an organization called Bracsel, and we have his documents. Primary investigation suggests death by suicide, but the actual cause of death will be confirmed after autopsy.”
