A couple and their 17-year-old son have died mysteriously at a residential hotel in the capital’s Moghbazar.
Law enforcement agencies are thoroughly investigating the matter to uncover the cause of the deaths.
The deceased have been identified as Monir, his wife Swapna, and their son Arafat, residents of Ramganj upazila in Laxmipur.
Confirming the incident, Ramna Division Deputy Commissioner (DC) Masud Alam said on Sunday, “The couple and their son rented a room at Hotel Sweet Sleep. Later, a relative visited them on Monday morning.”
“The visitor saw Swapna and their child vomiting,” the DC said, adding that the victims were taken to the hospital, where on-duty doctors declared them dead.
“In the meantime, Monir fell ill and was taken to the ICU. He also died there,” the DC added.
“The bodies are currently in police custody. After completing the legal process, they will be sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy,” he further said.
According to police and relatives, the family had come to Dhaka on Saturday for the treatment of their physically disabled son Nayem.
They rented a room at the hotel with the help of their Dhaka property caretaker, Rafiqul Islam. The family reportedly bought food from a nearby restaurant, and all three fell ill after consuming it.
Sweet Sleep’s Assistant Director Anwarul Islam said, “On Saturday afternoon, Monir Hossain came to the hotel with his especially abled son and wife. Rafiqul Islam rented the room using his national ID card.”
He added that CCTV footage showed Rafiqul bringing food in a bag that evening before leaving. Monir was seen going downstairs around 8 pm and later returning with water.
Anwarul also said that despite feeling unwell, the family did not inform the hotel staff. Rafiqul returned to the hotel around 11 am on Monday with his daughter. He first took Swapna to the hospital. About half an hour later, he returned to take Monir.
After Rafiqul’s daughter was heard screaming from the room, hotel staff rushed the couple's son Nayem to the hospital in an unconscious state.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Ramna Police Station Golam Faruk said, “We are investigating the incident thoroughly. We have already collected CCTV footage from the room and the entire hotel. We have also collected footage from the surrounding area to determine if anyone suspicious visited the room.”
In response to a question, he said, “It is not possible to determine the real cause of death without an autopsy. However, we are keeping two possibilities in mind. Our initial assumption is that the deaths may have been caused by food poisoning or that someone deliberately fed them poisonous food. The exact cause will be known after the investigation and autopsy report.”
Bd-Pratidin English / AM
