Woman kills 3-month-old daughter, mother in Satkhira

Police have arrested Shanta Parveen Akhi, a mentally unstable woman, in connection with the brutal murder of her three-month-old daughter and mother in Satkhira.

The victims have been identified as Shanta’s daughter, Ashrafi (3 months), and her mother, Hosne Ara Begum (65). The arrested woman, Shanta (30), is the daughter of the late Khodabox, a former UP member of Nunghola village in Brahmarajpur Union, Satkhira Sadar Upazila.

According to local sources, on Thursday (February 20) afternoon, Shanta burned her infant daughter to death in a stove fire. When her mother, Hosne Ara Begum, witnessed the incident, Shanta attacked her with a stick, striking her on the head, leading to her immediate death. Alarmed by the horrific event, locals detained Shanta and informed the police.

Sub-Inspector (SI) Shiblur Rahman of Satkhira Sadar Police Station stated that they arrested Shanta and recovered the bodies of the victims upon receiving the report.

Locals further reported that Shanta, the wife of Azharul Islam from neighboring Kushkhali village, had been mentally unstable at times despite otherwise appearing normal. On Wednesday (February 19), she had come to visit her father’s home in Nunghola with her daughter. The following morning, her husband, Azhar, returned to his home, and around 1:30 PM on Thursday, the tragic incident took place. The exact motive behind the double murder remains unknown.

Shanta’s sister-in-law, Nilufa Yasmin (wife of Mohsin), and neighbors Karuna Khatun and Sakhina Khatun stated that Shanta had been displaying unusual behavior for the past year due to conflicts with her mother-in-law and sister-in-law at her in-laws’ house. They speculated that rage and resentment might have driven her to commit the murders.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shaminul Haque of Sadar Police Station confirmed that the bodies of the victims have been sent to the district hospital morgue for autopsy.