A businessman, his wife and mother of an influential family in Jatrabari were brutally murdered on Thursday morning.
Police said the unknown assailants had entered the house at about 7:30 in the morning and slit the throats of the victims, Mizanur Rahman Milton, 55, his wife Bithi Rahman, 44, and mother Sufia Khatun, 75.
The motive behind the murders could not be known immediately, but neighbours said Milton might have had any dispute with his siblings over inherited property.
Police detained Milton’s two brothers, a nephew, the domestic help and a security guard of the building located at 37/1 Shaheed Faruk Road in South Jatrabari.
Police said they arrived immediately after they were informed by the security guard at about 8:30am and found the two women’s body lying and Milton still trying to breathe.
Milton was immediately rushed to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital where he breathed his last about 9:30am.
Sources said before his death Milton had has given some information which police refused to disclose for the sake of proper investigation.
Police picked up Milton’s younger brothers Zahidur Rahman Lifton and Ashiqur Rahman Lincoln from DMCH where they went to see their brother after receiving the news.
Lifton used to reside opposite the house of the deceased while Lincoln had left their Jatrabari residence two months back and had rented a house in Azimpur.
Senior assistant commissioner SM Murad Ali, who rushed to the scene after receiving the news, told New Age that primarily they had suspected the killing might have been taken place between 7:30am and 8:30am.
‘It was a pre-planned murder. We suspect that Mizan and his family members might have been killed over previous enmity. Besides, there were dispute among the brothers over the ownership of their inherited property,’ the police official said.
Akbar Ali, the security guard, told newsmen that he had gone outside the house to buy medicine for Milton’s wife at around 7:00am and came back at around 7:40am when he saw three bodies were lying on the ground in a pool of blood.
Milton’s only child Ashikur Rahman Ontu, 25, a fourth year student of Enam Medical College, was away to attend his class during the killing, said Ontu’s maternal uncle Obaidul Kabir.
Milton was a businessman dealing in motor parts and garments and had been involved in Awami League politics for long, Obaidul said, adding that he had no enmity with anybody but some dispute with his brothers over inherited properties.
Ontu said, ‘Our driver informed me about the killing over cell phone at around 9:00am while I was on my way to my college. I don’t know the motive behind the killing of my parents,’
He said that his father had been chairman of Jatrabari Ideal School committee for five years during last Awami League government.
Sumi Rahman, wife of Milton’s younger brother Lincoln, told New Age, ‘I came to the house from Azimpur after receiving the news over cell phone at around 9:30am. I along with my two daughters started living at Azimpur for the last two months as my daughters study at Azimpur High School.’
She also claimed that Milton’s had no enmity with anybody.
Jatrabari police officer-in-charge Mohammad Muniruzzaman said that they had detained five people including the two brothers of Milton for interrogation in connection with the murder.
Soon after the news spread, a team of Criminal Investigation Department rushed to the killing spot and collected evidences, police said. Besides, a team of Rapid Action Battalion and Special Branch also visited the scene.
Sources said Milton, Lifton and Lincoln owned huge properties in Jatrabari area.
Family sources said they would be buried at Jurain graveyard after post mortem of their bodies.
No case was filed in this connection till filing this report at around 6pm.
