Four Family Members Found Dead in Locked Home in Bangladesh's Rangpur

Four members of a retired schoolteacher's family were found dead inside their locked home in Rangpur city, Bangladesh, under circumstances that are being investigated by police. The bodies were recovered late Saturday night from a house in the Daspara (Machhuapara) area.

The deceased were identified as Ganapati Chakraborty, 65, a retired teacher at Rangpur Zilla School; his wife, Pritilata Chakraborty, 50; their daughter, Agami Chakraborty Prarthi, 23; and their 12-year-old son, Priyam Chakraborty. Police said they were found after entering the locked house, following concerns raised by relatives.

According to local residents, Ganapati retired from his school post on December 31 last year. His daughter had completed a Master's degree in English from Rangpur Carmichael College this year, while his son was a Class 5 student at the same school where his father had taught.

Relatives said they became alarmed after failing to reach the family by phone. Puja Chakraborty, Pritilata's younger sister, told The Daily Star that she last spoke to her sister on Thursday afternoon. All four mobile phones belonging to the family have been switched off since Thursday night.

"We came to Daspara on Saturday night after finding their phones switched off. The main gate of the house was locked, and all the lights inside were off. Police later arrived, broke the lock and entered the house, where they recovered the bodies," she said. Puja said the family could not understand who might have committed the act or what the motive could be.

"I cannot understand who killed my sister and her entire family, or why and when it happened. My sister's husband was a very good man. He had no enemies. They had built a new house in Daspara and were living there," she added.

Another relative, Soma Chakraborty, Ganapati's niece, said she had also last spoken to him on Thursday afternoon. She travelled to the house after learning of the deaths. "After receiving the news on Saturday night, I came here and saw his body. The bodies of my aunt, sister and brother were also lying there. My uncle had no enemies. After retiring from school, he started working as a homoeopathic practitioner," she said.

Police and investigative agencies have begun examining the scene. Officer-in-charge Nazmul Kader of Rangpur Metropolitan Kotwali Police Station said police, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Detective Branch had launched an investigation. "For now, we have recovered the bodies of four people. We have not yet been able to establish any details about the incident," he said.

Subir Chowdhury, in-charge of Rangpur Metropolitan CID, provided details about where the bodies were found. He told The Daily Star that the bodies of the mother and daughter were recovered from the staircase, while Ganapati's body was found on the roof. The body of the son was found under a bed. "We are investigating. The investigation will determine who was responsible for the killings," he said.

The exact circumstances, motive and timing of the deaths have not yet been established. Police and investigating agencies are continuing to examine the evidence and gather information as part of the probe.