Two separate cases have been filed in connection with the deaths of four members of the same family in the Bamunshikar area of Paba upazila, Rajshahi.
The cases were recorded on Friday evening at Motihar police station. Earlier that day, police recovered the bodies of a husband, wife, and their two children from their home in the area.
One of the cases is a murder case, filed by Shiuli Begum, the mother of the deceased Monira Begum. The other is an unnatural death (UD) case, filed by Rustam Ali, the father of the deceased, Minarul Islam.
No suspects have been named so far, but law enforcement agencies are investigating the matter.
Police recovered the bodies of Minarul Islam, 30, his wife Monira Begum, 28, their 13-year-old son Mahim, and their 18-month-old daughter Mithila from their home at around 9am on Friday.
Minarul was a farmer by profession, while Monira was a housewife. Mahim was a class eight student at Kharkhari High School.
Initial police investigations suggest that Minarul strangled his wife and children before taking his own life by hanging. A handwritten note was found beside his body, indicating that he had taken the drastic step due to debts. Police have seized the note, along with other evidence from the scene.
Officer-in-Charge Abdul Malek of Motihar police station said: “Two separate cases have been filed. Initial findings suggest debt may have been the cause. The matter is under investigation.”
He added: “The bodies have been kept at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital morgue for post-mortem, which will be conducted on Saturday morning. After legal formalities, the bodies will be handed over to the family.”
Local sources said Minarul had become heavily indebted two years ago after losing large sums in gambling. He took multiple loans from NGOs, with weekly repayments of Tk2,740 – amounting to Tk10,960 per month – which he could not manage from farming alone.
His father, Rustam Ali, sold land to repay part of the debt, but the rest remained unpaid. Minarul reportedly received little help from relatives, which deepened his frustration.
Minarul’s aunt, Janehar Begum, said: “He had a gambling habit from before. About a year and a half ago, his father sold land worth Tk150,000 to partially repay his debts.”
She added: “But as the debt wasn’t fully cleared, he resented his father. He stopped speaking to his parents, though he kept a good relationship between his children and their grandparents.”
Parila Union Parishad Chairman Md Sahed Ali said: “Minarul was in debt and had to pay over Tk2,700 in instalments each week. Three days ago, he borrowed Tk2,000 from me to buy rice and other essentials. With little work available during the monsoon season, he was under pressure.”
He added: “When I heard about the incident in the morning, I rushed here and informed the police. He used to gamble but had stopped. His father repaid one of his loans by selling five kathas of land, but another loan still remained.”
Rustam Ali, Minarul’s father, said: “He had some debt, but not a lot. I’m not sure if he had taken any new loans. The earlier debt was cleared by selling farmland, but I don’t know when or how he took on more debt.”
Minarul’s mother, Anjuara, said: “There was no problem at home. I provided for the family. He had debts, and I sold land to repay them. Then he borrowed again. This morning, I found him hanging. I raised my grandson myself—he lived with me. I don’t know how this happened.”
She broke down in tears as she spoke.
On the day of the incident, Rustam Ali returned from Kharkhari market with fish and asked his wife to call Mithila. When repeated calls went unanswered, they entered the next room and found Minarul hanging. Neighbours rushed in on hearing their cries, and the police were called to recover the bodies.
Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Commissioner Abu Sufian said: “We suspect Minarul killed his wife, son, and daughter before committing suicide. The bodies appear to have been strangled. A note has been recovered stating debt as the reason. We are investigating the matter.”
Police said legal action would be taken if evidence of abetment to suicide is found. The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have all begun shadow investigations into the incident.
