Elderly woman killed, gold and cash looted in Jatrabari

An elderly woman, Shahida Begum, 68, was found murdered in her flat in Dhaka's Jatrabari area on Saturday night, July 11, with gold ornaments and cash reportedly looted from the residence. Police suspect the killing was carried out for robbery.

The incident took place on the seventh floor of a multi-storey building in the Kajla area.

According to relatives, Shahida lived with her daughter-in-law Sharmin Akhter and two granddaughters. On Saturday afternoon, Sharmin left with her elder daughter, leaving the two-year-old granddaughter with her grandmother.

When Sharmin returned around 9:15 pm, she found the main door locked from outside. Upon entering, she saw her mother-in-law lying in a pool of blood. The toddler was crying in another room.

Police said the elderly woman had a deep wound on the right side of her neck, suggesting she was killed with a sharp weapon. A broken cupboard, a shovel and a broken pair of scissors were found at the scene. A gold chain, ring and earrings were reportedly looted.

Jatrabari Police Station OC Mohammad Raju said the body has been sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for autopsy. CCTV footage from nearby buildings is being collected to identify the perpetrators.