Who Is the Rome Family Murder Suspect?

Italian police are searching for Bangladeshi national Shahadat Hossain, the prime suspect in the brutal killing of three members of a Bangladeshi family in Rome. The victims, identified as Kamal Uddin Babul, his wife Arju Begum and their eight-year-old daughter Aroya Islam Arisha, were found dead inside their home in the Casalotti district, in the western outskirts of the Italian capital. The couple’s 20-year-old son, Amir, sustained serious injuries while attempting to protect his family and remains in intensive care at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.

According to Italian media reports, the 43-year-old suspect moved to Rome from the United Kingdom several months ago. Investigators believe he had developed an obsessive, one-sided attachment to Arju Begum. Their initial assessment suggests that the alleged rejection of his advances may have been the motive behind the attack, although police have stressed that the investigation is ongoing and no final conclusion has yet been reached.

Authorities are also examining a social media post allegedly published by Shahadat just days before the killings. In the post, he wrote: “No one dies alone. Someone else always dies with them. When death comes, loved ones should be taken along so they do not have to live with the pain of losing someone dear.” Investigators are treating the message as a potentially significant piece of evidence while assessing the suspect’s state of mind before the incident.

Police believe the attack began shortly after 9 p.m. local time on Saturday when the suspect allegedly entered the family’s residence carrying a machete. Investigators say Arju Begum and her young daughter were attacked first before Kamal Uddin was also fatally assaulted. Officers suspect the attacker then attempted to conceal the three bodies beneath a bed before fleeing the scene.

Amir returned home during the attack and tried to save his parents and younger sister. A violent struggle followed, leaving him critically injured. Witnesses reported hearing him repeatedly cry out, “He killed my mother. He destroyed my whole family.” He also identified Shahadat as the attacker when speaking to police.

A local resident, Agostino, said he had been watching the Norway versus France football match on television when he heard desperate screams outside. Rushing to the scene, he found Amir lying on the street covered in blood while another man was attacking him. The assailant fled moments later before emergency services arrived.

Since the killings, Shahadat Hossain has remained on the run. Italian police are reviewing CCTV footage from across the Casalotti area and have launched a nationwide search. A reported sighting at Bologna railway station on Sunday afternoon was later ruled out after investigators determined it was a false lead.

Police recovered a mobile phone believed to have been left behind by the suspect at the crime scene. Forensic specialists are examining the device while detectives continue interviewing relatives, neighbours and members of the local Bangladeshi community in an effort to reconstruct the events leading up to the attack.

Members of the Bangladeshi community in Italy said both the victims and the suspect originated from neighbouring areas of Companiganj Upazila in Bangladesh’s Noakhali district. Kamal Uddin and his wife had been living in Italy since 2009, while Shahadat reportedly relocated from London to Rome with his wife around six months ago.

Some community members have claimed that Shahadat had displayed an unhealthy fixation on Arju Begum for a considerable period. However, despite speculation circulating within the community, investigators have not confirmed that any personal relationship existed between the suspect and the victim.

The Rome Prosecutor’s Office has opened a criminal investigation on charges of murder and causing grievous bodily harm. Detectives say their immediate priority is locating and arresting Shahadat Hossain. Once he is taken into custody, investigators hope to establish the full sequence of events and determine the precise motive behind one of the most disturbing crimes to affect the Bangladeshi community in Italy in recent years.