Police have unravelled a chilling murder mystery in Madaripur’s Shibchar upazila, arresting a primary suspect who confessed to raping a young woman, killing her, and throwing her infant son into a river. The breakthrough came early Friday morning when officers apprehended Faruk Molla in Rajoir, seizing crucial evidence tied to the crime.
The victim, twenty-year-old Shampa Khatun, was found dead near a bush in the Bakherkandi area of Madborchar union on Wednesday. Her one-year-old son, Abir, had gone missing concurrently, triggering an intensive police search. According to investigators, Shampa’s husband was currently incarcerated in connection with a separate legal case. During this period, Shampa met Faruk at the Madaripur court, and their acquaintance gradually evolved into a relationship.
On Wednesday, Faruk lured Shampa to his residence in Shibchar’s Bakherkandi area. Following the assault and subsequent murder, he dumped her body in an isolated location. Realising the infant could identify him or create complications, Faruk allegedly strangled little Abir and tossed the child’s body into the river from the Arial Khan bridge. Law enforcement launched a river rescue operation to recover the child’s remains, though strong currents forced authorities to suspend the search by Friday evening.
Shampa’s father, Shamrul Islam, travelled from Natore’s Lalpur to the Shibchar police station upon receiving the tragic news, formally lodging a murder case on Thursday. He noted that Shampa had been married to Md Shahabuddin Howlader of Boro Meher three years prior, resulting in the birth of young Abir.
Prompted by the filing of the case, Madaripur Superintendent of Police Md Habibur Rahman directed a joint operation involving police and the Rapid Action Battalion, spearheaded by Shibchar Circle Assistant Superintendent of Police Md Salah Uddin Kader. Following Faruk’s arrest in Rajor upazila, a subsequent search of his Shibchar home recovered Shampa’s gold nose pin and silver chain. Investigators also discovered partially burned garments, including her scarf and a pair of shoes, inside a hearth.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Md Salah Uddin Kader described the case as initially clueless, praising the deployment of information technology and intelligence tracking that facilitated a rapid arrest and evidence recovery. Records reveal that Faruk had previously been arrested in Shibchar several months ago on vehicle theft charges. Authorities are continuing their inquiries to determine whether any accomplices assisted in the harrowing crime.
