Police recovered the bodies of a husband and wife from a locked room in Ashulia, Savar, on Friday night, along with the body of a foetus. Investigators suspect that the couple may have been murdered, although the precise circumstances surrounding their deaths will only become clear after a detailed investigation and forensic examination.
The bodies were recovered at around 2.30am from a room on the second floor of a four-storey building in the Madhya Jamgora area of Ashulia. The deceased were identified as Nazma Akter, 33, from Bara Magura Pakpara in Nawabganj upazila of Dinajpur, and her husband, Alamgir Hossain, 42, from the Palashbari area.
According to police and several local residents, the couple had rented the room on 9 August. Neighbours said the room had remained locked for about three days before the bodies were discovered. On Friday, residents living in nearby rooms noticed a strong and unpleasant smell coming from inside the locked premises and informed the building owner.
The owner initially believed that a dead cat might have become trapped inside the room and caused the smell. As the odour grew stronger, however, the owner and several tenants became concerned. They eventually broke open the lock and entered the room, where they found the bodies of Nazma and Alamgir lying on a bed. The body of a foetus was also found inside the room. Police were subsequently informed.
Residents said Nazma had been pregnant when the couple moved into the room. She reportedly worked at a garment factory in the local area, while Alamgir earned a living as a street vendor. The couple had apparently been living together in the rented accommodation before the incident.
Nazma’s sister, Shapla Begum, said she had last seen her sister on Thursday afternoon. She and Nazma both worked at the same factory in Jamgora. According to Shapla, Nazma did not attend work on Saturday, prompting concern among relatives and colleagues. As she knew her sister was pregnant, she initially thought Nazma might have fallen ill or experienced a pregnancy-related complication.
Shapla alleged that the couple had been strangled to death. She also suggested that Nazma’s pregnancy had ended during the incident, resulting in the foetus being expelled.
Police, however, have yet to establish exactly how the couple died or what happened to the pregnancy. Ashulia police station’s officer-in-charge, Mohammad Tarikul Islam, said investigators believed the woman had suffered a miscarriage either before or after the alleged killing. The foetus was estimated to have been around five months old.
Investigators are examining the condition of the room, the position of the bodies and other evidence collected from the scene. The circumstances in which the room remained locked for several days, as well as the timeline of the couple’s final movements, are also expected to form an important part of the investigation.
Police said the evidence and circumstances at the scene had led them to suspect a possible homicide at this preliminary stage. The bodies and other relevant evidence will undergo examination to help determine the cause and manner of death. Authorities are expected to investigate whether the couple knew the perpetrator and whether anyone had entered or left the premises around the time of the deaths.
The discovery has caused concern among residents of the densely populated rental neighbourhood, where workers from nearby factories and other low-income earners commonly live in rented accommodation. Investigators will now have to establish a clear sequence of events, identify any possible motive and determine who may have been responsible for the deaths.
