Police have arrested three people in connection with the killing of a mother, her son and her mother in Kachua upazila of Bagerhat, claiming that the three deaths were the result of a pre-planned attack stemming from a dispute over an alleged extramarital relationship.
The arrests were announced on Sunday (6 September) at a press briefing held at the conference room of the Bagerhat Superintendent of Police’s office. Superintendent of Police Hasan Mohammad Nasher Rikabdar said the investigation had made significant progress following the recovery of the victims’ bodies last month.
The arrested men were identified as Jahidul Islam, a mason and son of Majid Hawladar; Asadul Sheikh, son of Sultan Sheikh; and Mohammad Arif Hawladar, also known as Babu, son of Barik Hawladar. All three are residents of the same locality, while two are reportedly close relatives of the victims.
Police also recovered four mobile phones belonging to the deceased from the arrested suspects. Investigators are examining the recovered devices alongside other information gathered during the investigation.
According to the police, the investigation began immediately after the bodies were discovered. Officers used information technology, local sources and intelligence surveillance to trace the circumstances surrounding the killings and identify potential suspects.
Asadul Sheikh was arrested from Chand-er-Khola village in Kachua on Saturday night. Police subsequently arrested Arif Hawladar Babu based on information obtained during questioning. Jahidul Islam had been arrested earlier.
The police superintendent said all three suspects had initially admitted their involvement in the killings during questioning. Their statements, however, remain part of the investigation and will need to be assessed against other evidence collected by investigators.
Police said their preliminary findings point to an alleged extramarital relationship involving Jahidul Islam and a woman from the victims’ family. The relationship reportedly created tension within Jahidul’s family. Investigators said the dispute later involved Monira Begum, one of the victims, and an argument allegedly took place between her and Jahidul.
According to the police account, the dispute eventually led Jahidul to plan an attack on members of the family. He allegedly enlisted Asadul and Arif to carry out the plan, resulting in the deaths of the three victims.
The killings came to light after the family members went missing. The three victims had reportedly not been heard from since the afternoon of 2 August. Two days later, on the evening of 4 August, police recovered their partially decomposed bodies from their home in Chand-er-Khola village.
The victims were identified as Ahad Hawladar, son of the late Abdar Ali Hawladar; his mother, Monira Begum; and his maternal grandmother, Rashida Begum. Rashida Begum was the widow of the late Abdur Rashid of Bishnupur village in Bagerhat Sadar upazila.
Following the discovery of the bodies, Ahad Hawladar’s elder brother, Faisal Hawladar, filed a murder case at Kachua Police Station that night against unidentified suspects. The case initially left the motive and identities of those responsible unclear, prompting police to investigate the victims’ recent activities, their contacts and possible disputes.
The recovery of the four mobile phones is expected to be relevant to the investigation, particularly as police examine communications and other digital information that may help establish the sequence of events. Investigators have not, however, publicly disclosed the specific findings from the devices.
Superintendent Hasan Mohammad Nasher Rikabdar said police were still investigating whether anyone else was involved in the killings. The possibility of additional suspects therefore remains open as the investigation continues.
The deaths of three members of the same family had caused considerable concern in the area, particularly because the bodies were discovered inside their own home after the family had lost contact with them. The arrests have now provided investigators with a potential explanation for the incident, but the full circumstances surrounding the killings will depend on further evidence and the outcome of the legal proceedings.
The allegations against the arrested individuals are subject to investigation and judicial scrutiny. Police are expected to establish the precise roles of each suspect and determine whether others were involved before the case progresses further.
