A 60-year-old woman was found dead with severe injuries at her home in Shibganj, Chapainawabganj, while her 75-year-old husband was found hanging from a ceiling-fan hook nearby. Relatives have alleged that the elderly man killed his wife with a sharp agricultural implement before taking his own life.

The incident occurred on Friday afternoon in Rasiknagar Babupur village of Noyal Union in Shibganj upazila. The deceased woman was identified as Monowara Begum, 60, and her husband as Mofizul Haque, 75.

The officer-in-charge of Shibganj Police Station, Matiur Rahman, confirmed the incident.

According to police and family members, Mofizul had reportedly been suffering from mental health problems for several years and had been receiving treatment. Investigators suspect that a domestic dispute may have preceded the incident. At some point during the confrontation, Mofizul allegedly attacked his wife with a sharp hansua, causing serious injuries. He then apparently hanged himself from the hook used to suspend the ceiling fan in the room.

The deaths came to light after the couple’s daughter-in-law, Shapla Begum, returned home after attending an invitation on Friday evening. She found the door of the room locked from inside. Concerned by the unusual situation, she looked through a window and saw Monowara lying on the floor in a blood-soaked condition.

Shapla then alerted local residents. Neighbours gathered at the house and broke open the door. Inside, they found Mofizul hanging from the ceiling-fan hook and Monowara lying dead on the floor.

Police were informed and arrived at the scene at around 8pm. Officers recovered both bodies and sent them to the morgue of the 250-bed Chapainawabganj District Hospital for post-mortem examinations. The examinations are expected to help establish the precise circumstances and causes of the two deaths.

The couple’s two sons-in-law, Rafiqul Islam and Yusuf Ali, said Mofizul had been undergoing treatment for mental health difficulties for several years. They also indicated that the family did not initially intend to pursue a complaint against anyone.

Rafiqul said the family had no one else to accuse because the person suspected of carrying out the attack had also died. The family therefore said it had no immediate intention of filing a murder complaint against another individual.

Police, however, are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding Monowara’s death. The officer-in-charge said an unnatural death case had been filed in connection with the incident, while preparations were under way to register a separate murder case over Monowara’s death.

The authorities will rely on the post-mortem findings, evidence collected from the scene and statements from family members and witnesses as they determine the sequence of events. The exact motive and circumstances leading to the deaths have not yet been conclusively established.