A Hindu family of four, including a retired school teacher, was found dead under suspicious circumstances inside their locked home in Rangpur city, Bangladesh, late Saturday night, according to local media reports.
The bodies were recovered around 11.30 pm from the family's residence in the Daspara, or Machhuapara, area. Police said the victims were found in different parts of the house and household belongings were scattered.
The deceased were identified as Ganapati Chakraborty, 65, a retired teacher of Rangpur Zilla School, his wife Pritilata Chakraborty, 50, their daughter Agami Chakraborty Prarthi, 23, and their 12-year-old son.
Ganapati was found dead on the roof, while Pritilata and Agami were found on the staircase. The boy, a Class 5 student, was found under a bed, according to local residents cited in the report.
Agami had completed her master's degree in English from Carmichael College this year, locals said.
Police Suspect Robbery, Possible Strangulation
Subir Chowdhury, in charge of the Rangpur Metropolitan Criminal Investigation Department (CID), said the condition of the house initially suggested robbery.
"The household belongings were found scattered and in disarray. For now, it appears to be a robbery," he said.
"However, nothing can be confirmed until the investigation is completed."
Sanatan Chakrabarty, Deputy Commissioner of Rangpur Metropolitan Police and head of the Detective Branch, said the bodies had been sent to the morgue for autopsies.
“Initially, we suspect that they were strangled,” he said.
Police, CID and Detective Branch teams are jointly investigating the deaths.
Family's Phones Were Switched Off Since Thursday
Pritilata's younger sister, Puja Chakraborty, said the family's mobile phones had been switched off since Thursday night, prompting relatives to visit the house on Saturday.
"We came to Daspara on Saturday night after finding their phones switched off."
She said the house's main gate was locked and the lights were switched off. Puja said she had last spoken to her sister on Thursday afternoon.
Ganapati's niece, Soma Chakraborty, also said she had last spoken to him on Thursday afternoon.
"My uncle had no enemies. After retiring from school, he started working as a homeopathic practitioner," she said.
Locals Say Family Was New To The Area
A local resident said Ganapati had built the three-storey house, though construction remained incomplete, and that the family was relatively new to the neighbourhood.
The resident also described Ganapati as courteous.
Investigators have yet to establish what led to the deaths, and police said further conclusions would depend on the findings of the ongoing probe and autopsies.
