Police Probe Motive Behind Lakshmipur Family Killings

Police investigating the brutal killing of a mother and her three daughters in Lakshmipur’s Raipur upazila have yet to determine the motive behind the attack, with fresh findings casting doubt on the theory that the crime was driven by robbery. Officers confirmed that gold jewellery and cash kept inside the family’s rented home remained untouched, while two mobile phones belonging to the victims were recovered outside the building.

Investigators carried out another detailed search of the house on Sunday as part of the ongoing inquiry. During the operation, they verified that valuables, including jewellery and cash, had not been taken. On the same day, police recovered two mobile phones used by 40-year-old Shahinur Begum and one of her daughters. The devices were found in a narrow gap between two adjacent buildings.

According to investigators, the suspect, 28-year-old Antar Majumdar, is believed to have taken the phones while fleeing the scene. Police suspect the devices fell into the narrow passage when local residents apprehended and assaulted him following the attack.

The latest discoveries have significantly weakened the possibility that the killings were motivated solely by theft. Investigators are now trying to determine why the suspect allegedly carried away the phones while leaving behind money and valuables.

Police officials said they have already examined call records and other digital data linked to the mobile numbers used by both the victims and the suspect. Their analysis has found no evidence of previous communication or any known relationship between Antar Majumdar and members of the family. This has strengthened the view that there was no established personal connection between them before the incident.

The investigation has become particularly challenging because everyone directly involved in the incident died. Shahinur Begum and her three daughters were killed inside the house, while the accused later died in hospital after being beaten by members of the public who detained him while he was attempting to escape. With no surviving eyewitnesses, detectives are relying heavily on forensic evidence, physical exhibits collected from the crime scene and surrounding circumstances to reconstruct what happened.

The killings occurred on Thursday at a rented house beside the river in the Dhanhata area of Raipur municipality. The victims were identified as Shahinur Begum and her daughters, Saima Akter, 21, Nafisa Akter Ikra, 17, and Fatema Akter Sipa, 10.

After the attack, local residents caught Antar Majumdar as he allegedly attempted to flee. He was severely beaten before being taken to Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital, where he later died while receiving treatment. Antar was a resident of Subarnachar upazila in Noakhali district and was the son of Kartik Majumdar.

Neighbours said Shahinur Begum’s family originally came from Lotiya village in Homna upazila of Cumilla. Her husband, Kamal Hossain, had moved the family to Raipur in search of work. He died from electrocution in 2019, leaving Shahinur to support the household on her own.

In addition to her three daughters, Shahinur had a 16-year-old son, Junaid Islam, also known as Sifat, who worked at a rod and cement shop. He was at work when the murders took place and therefore escaped the attack.

Among the deceased sisters, Ikra was a Higher Secondary student, while Sipa studied in the fourth grade. Their eldest sister, Saima, had completed her Higher Secondary Certificate from Adamjee Cantonment College in Dhaka.

Raipur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shahin Mia said investigators initially believed the suspect had entered the house intending to commit robbery. However, the recovery of jewellery and cash from the residence has largely ruled out theft as the primary motive.

He added that police had thoroughly analysed call records and other available digital evidence belonging to both the victims and the suspect. No communication or prior contact had been identified, making it increasingly unlikely that Antar Majumdar had any previous association with the family.

Describing the investigation as exceptionally complex, the officer said the deaths of all five people connected to the incident had left investigators without any eyewitness testimony. As a result, police must depend on forensic examinations, physical evidence and circumstantial findings to establish the sequence of events. He stressed that no possible motive has been ruled out and that investigators will continue examining every available lead until the true reason behind the killings is conclusively established.