Couple, five-month fetus found dead in locked Ashulia flat

The bodies of a couple and a five-month-old fetus have been recovered from a locked flat in Ashulia, with police saying evidence at the scene has raised suspicions of a planned murder.

The grim discovery was made at a four-storey residential building in Madhya Jamgara early Saturday after neighbours noticed a foul smell coming from the flat, which had apparently remained locked for around three days.

The deceased were identified as Alamgir Hossain alias Alam, 42, and his wife Nazma Akhter, 33. Both were from Nawabganj upazila of Dinajpur.

Police recovered their bodies from a bed along with the fetus after the building owner and tenants broke open the lock and alerted authorities.

Ashulia police station Officer-in-Charge Tariqul Islam said a towel was found wrapped around Alamgir’s neck, while investigators were examining other evidence from the scene.

“Based on what we have seen at the scene, we initially suspect that it could be a murder,” he said. “Our initial assessment is that it may have been a planned murder.”

However, police stressed that the exact circumstances would only become clear after autopsies and further investigation.

The bodies were sent to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examinations.

Police are also investigating what happened to Nazma’s pregnancy and whether the fetus was expelled before, during or after the deaths.

Nazma worked at a local garment factory, while Alamgir was a hawker selling paan, cigarettes and other items. Police said the couple had been living in the flat since August 9.

Nazma’s sister Shapla Akhter said family members had heard that the couple frequently quarrelled, but she had last seen her sister at her workplace on Thursday and had been unable to contact her afterwards.

Neighbours said the flat’s doors and windows were usually kept closed. They initially mistook the smell for accumulated waste before it became stronger on Friday, prompting them to investigate.

Police said they were collecting and analysing evidence to determine whether the deaths resulted from homicide and, if so, who was responsible.