The five members of a UK-based Bangladeshi family found unconscious at a house in Sylhet’s Osmani Nagar were poisoned, police said after an initial investigation. Two of them died on the way to the hospital.
They were recovered on Tuesday afternoon from a rented flat in the Tajpur area, said Sylhet District Superintendent of Police Farid Uddin. Two of those still living are in critical condition.
The dead have been identified as Rafiqul Islam, who is in his fifties, and his son Michael Islam, 18, reports bdnews24.com.
Rafiqul’s wife Hosne Ara Islam, 40, their daughter Samira Islam, 19, and son Sadikul Islam, 21, were the ones found unconscious. They are currently under treatment at Sylhet’s MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital.
Police went to the scene soon after the incident was reported and spoke to the other residents of the building and conducted a preliminary investigation.
“After discussing the overall situation with the doctors and inspecting the scene, we believe this may have been a case of poisoning,” said SP Farid Uddin.
“The other people in the building are close relatives of the victims. We questioned them. At the moment, we believe they fell asleep after dinner last night. This must be investigated further. How were they poisoned? How did they die? We will be able to confirm after an investigation.”
“But, at first glance, it looks like murder using poison.”
All of the victims are British citizens and had come to Bangladesh this month. The family was originally from Osmani Nagar.”
One of their sons was sick and the family rented the flat on Jul 18 to facilitate his treatment. Rafiqul Islam’s in-laws lived in the same building.
After dinner yesterday, they all fell asleep in the same room, SP Farid Uddin said. Between 10 am and 10:30 am on Tuesday, their relatives tried to open the door to the flat. They called the police when they heard no sounds inside. Police found the door locked, broke it open, and recovered the five unconscious victims inside.
“After they were taken to the hospital, the father and the youngest son were declared dead,” the police official said. “The mother and daughter are in critical condition. They have been transferred to the ICU. The other brother, Sadikul, is receiving treatment.”
