Deadly Chandpur Robbery Leaves Young Mother Killed

A young mother was killed and another woman seriously injured during a brutal late-night robbery at a family home in Chandpur’s Shahrasti upazila, in an attack that has left the local community in shock and prompted an intensive police investigation.

The incident occurred at around 2:30am on Tuesday night, extending into the early hours of Wednesday, in the Bepari Bari area of Battala village under Ward No. 9 of Shahrasti Municipality.

The victim, Regan Akter Mim, 26, was the daughter-in-law of the late Selim Bepari. She was the mother of two young children—a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Saifa, and a four-month-old son, Siraj. Her husband, Rony, works in Dhaka and was away from home when the attack took place.

At the time of the incident, the house was occupied by Mim, another daughter-in-law Sumaiya Akter, 24, elderly family member Nurul Islam, and three young children.

According to Sumaiya, she had gone to sleep around midnight with her three-month-old baby. She said two masked men entered her room during the night and threatened her with a knife while holding both her and her infant hostage. The intruders demanded to know where the family’s jewellery and valuables were kept.

Fearing for her life and the safety of her child, she directed them to the cupboard containing the valuables. After taking the items, the assailants tied her hands with her scarf before striking her twice on the head with a hammer. They also took the earrings she was wearing, another pair of earrings kept in the cupboard, and a ring before moving into the adjoining room.

Unable to free herself, Sumaiya said she could hear Mim crying out and screaming from the neighbouring room. With her hands bound, she was powerless to intervene and could only listen helplessly as the attack unfolded.

Nurul Islam, the elderly member of the household, said he had locked the property’s iron gate before going to bed, leaving the key on a table inside the house. He awoke after hearing screams and discovered that although the gate remained secured from the inside, the padlock had disappeared. It was later found lying intact outside the property. Police are examining how the perpetrators gained access and exited the house.

Neighbour Anwar Hossain said he rushed to the house after hearing desperate cries coming from Mim’s room. Although he heard sounds of a struggle inside, nobody responded when he called through the window. Suspecting a robbery, he alerted other residents.

An announcement was subsequently made through the local mosque’s public address system warning of a robbery, prompting villagers to surround the property.

Residents later noticed that a window on the eastern side of the house had been left open. Looking through it, they saw Mim lying motionless on the floor. The family’s elderly chairman, who is also her grandfather-in-law, opened the gate, allowing neighbours to enter.

Inside, they found Sumaiya with her hands tied, crying for help. In the adjoining room, Mim was discovered unconscious on the floor with a scarf wrapped tightly around her neck. Residents immediately removed the scarf and attempted to revive her, but she showed no signs of life. A doctor who arrived at the scene later confirmed her death.

News of the killing quickly spread through the area, bringing devastated relatives rushing to the family home. Emotional scenes unfolded as grieving parents, siblings and other family members mourned beside the body. The sight of Mim’s two young children—one only a few months old and the other still a toddler—deepened the community’s grief and highlighted the devastating human cost of the crime.

Police officers, including Officer-in-Charge Mir Mahbubur Rahman of Shahrasti Police Station and Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police Md Abdul Hai Chowdhury of the Kachua Circle, visited the scene soon afterwards. Investigators collected forensic evidence, while preparations were made to send the body to Chandpur Sadar Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

Police said the investigation is being treated as a high-priority case. Detectives are examining how the robbers entered the residence, whether the killing was solely linked to the robbery or involved another motive, and whether additional suspects were involved.

Officer-in-Charge Mir Mahbubur Rahman said investigators were working to identify and arrest those responsible as quickly as possible. He added that every aspect of the incident, including the method of entry and the sequence of events, was being thoroughly examined.

Senior Assistant Superintendent Md Abdul Hai Chowdhury said multiple investigative teams had been deployed to solve the case. He noted that forensic evidence collected from the scene, witness statements and other material evidence were being analysed in an effort to identify the perpetrators and bring them before the courts. Police said further legal action would be taken as the investigation progr