A brutal killing of four members of a family, including two children, in a remote village of Naogaon's Niamatpur Upazila has raised suspicions of a land dispute, according to relatives, with a chilling message found on a wall further fuelling the theory, reports bdnews24.com
Police have detained the father, two sisters, and a nephew of victim Habibur Rahman for questioning, though officials say no conclusions have yet been reached.
On Tuesday, Naogaon Superintendent of Police Tarikul Islam said investigators were hopeful of unravelling the mystery swiftly.
The killings have sent shockwaves through Bahadurpur village, where grief-stricken relatives have plunged the locality into mourning.
The victims were identified as Habibur, 32; his wife Sultana Poppy, 25; their son identified only as Parvez, 9; and daughter Sadia Rahman, 3.
Police said on Tuesday morning, Habibur's father Nomir Hossain noticed blood seeping from beneath the doors of two separate rooms and raised the alarm.
Neighbours rushed in to find Habibur in one room, and Poppy with their two children in another-all with their throats slit.
Law enforcers recovered the bodies and launched an investigation, with senior officials from the Detective Branch and CID visiting the scene.
Locals said Nomir had recently registered around 10 bighas, around 1.33 hectares, of homestead land in his only son's name, while his five daughters received 10 kathas, roughly 0.06 hectares, each-a division that had sparked a prolonged family dispute.
Poppy's uncle Abul Kalam Azad said, "There was a conflict over land with his sisters. Several mediation attempts failed, and their father did not resolve it."
He also alleged an earlier attempt to poison the family.
Poppy's aunt claimed sustained harassment by in-laws over the land dispute.
Her mother Sabina Begum demanded justice, questioning why Nomir survived while four others were killed.
Her father Moazzem Hossain called for exemplary punishment.
