Double murder in Noakhali: Stepmother, son killed over property dispute, says CID

Two years after a woman and her minor son went missing in Sonaimuri upazila of Noakhali district, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has uncovered a chilling case of double murder allegedly driven by a property dispute.

Kamala Khatun and her son Noman were killed and their bodies secretly buried in a bid to grab property, said CID officials while speaking at a press briefing on Monday, UNB reports. 

According to CID sources, Kamala Khatun went missing on March 10, 2024. Later her stepson Ziaur Rahman Sagar filed a general diary (GD) with Sonaimuri Police Station.

Kamala’s sister Rahima Begum filed a petition case in court, prompting an investigation into the disappearance.

The case was initially handled by the district Detective Branch (DB) before being transferred to CID.

Investigators found that around 30 decimals of land had been registered in the names of Kamala Khatun and her son by the late Abul Kalam Azad, Kamala’s second husband. A long-standing family dispute had been ongoing over the property.

CID said that on February 25, 2024, the victims were assaulted and threatened, after which they went missing.

During the investigation, CID recovered a mobile phone belonging to Kamala Khatun, which helped advance the probe.

Based on the information, accused Saiful Islam, also known as Rajon or Raju, was arrested from Mymensingh on May 21, this year.

Based on his statement, police later arrested Ziaur Rahman Sagar and Ashiqur Rahman Tipu. Rajon, Sagar and Tipu are the sons of Abul Kalam Azad from his previous marriage, and stepsons of the victim Kamala Khatun.

During interrogation, the accused confessed that they had planned the murder in advance to seize the property.

On the night of March 1, 2024, sleeping pills were mixed into food and water given to Kamala Khatun and her son. After they became unconscious, they were strangled using a towel, suffocated with pillows, and killed.

CID said the bodies were then buried in a pre-dug pit near a pond adjacent to the house. The perpetrators also burned clothing and other evidence to destroy traces of the crime.

Based on their confession, the remains of Kamala Khatun and her son were recovered on Saturday through excavation in the presence of local representatives, village police, and residents.

The remains were sent to Noakhali General Hospital morgue for autopsy.

CID officials said the three arrested suspects have given confessional statements under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure before a court.

DNA testing of collected samples is underway. Investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest other individuals involved in the crime, CID added.