Sylhet triple murder: Family files case alleging property dispute; police cite love affair

A case has been filed over the murder of an elderly couple and their domestic worker at their home in Sylhet city's Raynagar area, with the family alleging that the three were killed by hired killers over a long-running property dispute.

The victims were Abdus Sattar Mia, 90, his wife Suraiya Begum, 75, and Tahmina, 18.

Selina Sultana, the couple's daughter, filed the case at Kotwali Police Station yesterday (14 August), three days after the bodies were recovered.

She alleged that professional killers were hired to execute what she called premeditated murders over a property dispute.

She said her father had a long-running property dispute with Advocate Sirajul Islam over land in Raynagar and property belonging to the Lusai Church Association in Rikabibazar.

Several related cases are pending in court, while the family had also received threats to withdraw them, according to the case documents.

Selina alleged that on 29 January last year, Sirajul and several others visited their ancestral home and pressured the family to withdraw the cases, later threatening them with dire consequences during an argument.

She also alleged that after killing the three, the hired killers took documents related to the cases and land, along with copies of general diaries and deeds.

Police, however, said the murders were linked to a romantic relationship between domestic worker Tahmina and Babul Mia, 40, who was arrested on the day of the incident and later sent to jail by a court.

Police said Babul confessed during initial questioning to killing the three over his relationship with Tahmina and helped recover a knife allegedly used in the murders.

Speaking to reporters after filing the case, Selina rejected the police claim, saying she does not believe one person could kill three people and alleging that "a bigger hand" was behind the murders.

She called for a proper investigation and denied that Tahmina's alleged relationship with Babul had any role in the killings, saying the domestic worker did not even have a mobile phone.

"Our mother died trying to save the domestic worker," Selina said, describing Tahmina as a young and trusted member of the household.

She alleged that the relationship narrative was being used to divert attention from the real motive.

Selina and her brother Arif Iftekhar returned to Bangladesh from the UK yesterday morning and went to the police station at night to file the case.

Kotwali Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mainul Zakir confirmed the filing of the case.

Arif said the family will wait for the investigation and hoped Babul will be remanded for a proper probe.

Asked about the allegations, Sirajul said the matter has been widely discussed in Sylhet over the past three days and that he will respond after the investigation.

The namaz-e-janaza of Sattar and Suraiya was held at Sylhet's Shahi Eidgah ground after Asr prayers yesterday.

Before the funeral prayer, Arif and Sylhet City Corporation Administrator Abdul Qayum Chowdhury spoke briefly.

There, Qayum condemned the killings and called for a thorough investigation to determine whether anyone else was involved.

He said such a brutal incident is rare in Sylhet, known as a "city of peace," and called for a speedy trial to ensure justice for the victims' family.

Police recovered the throat-slit bodies of Sattar, his wife Suraiya and their domestic help Tahmina from their home, Mitali 111 in Raynagar, on 12 August.

Abdus Sattar Mia was a businessman and a member of the Sylhet Chamber of Commerce. He lived at the Raynagar house with his wife and Tahmina.

The couple had four children. Two live in London and two in the United States.