Woman, children among seven bodies recovered in Cumilla in 24 hours

A total of seven people, including a woman and three children, have been found dead in Cumilla within 24 hours, with police suspecting suicide in some cases.

The bodies were recovered from three Upazilas -- Titas and Brahmanpara with three each, and one from Burichang.

Titas Police Station chief Md Shahid Ullah said Monu Mia, a speech-impaired man, attempted suicide after allegedly feeding pesticide to his two speech-impaired daughters in Tulakandi village on Monday morning.

The daughters, identified by their single names Monira, 10, and Fatiha, 6, died from poisoning.

Later, around 11am at Machimpur Paschimpara, a 55-year-old man named Murshid Mia died by suicide.

He reportedly hanged himself, “unable to bear the burden of debt”. He is survived by his wife and a child.

Sub-Inspector (SI) Kamal Krishna Saha of Titas Police Station said Murshid had recently taken loans from several NGOs and also owed money to local residents.

In Brahmanpara, police found the body of Antara Akter, 25, hanging by the neck, in Ward No. 5 of Shidli Union in the morning.

She had returned from Saudi Arabia and, according to police, is believed to have taken her life during the night.

An unnatural death case has been filed over the incident.

Also in Brahmanpara, Md Tutul, 28, died from electrocution while trying to charge a battery-run three-wheeler.

The incident occurred on Sunday evening in Ward No. 8 of the same union.

A 16-month-old child, Hosain, identified by a single name, drowned in a pond beside his house in Sahebabad Union’s Takoi on Monday morning. A local health official confirmed the death.

In Burichang, the decomposed body of an unidentified man, believed to be about 30 years old, was recovered near the railway line in Bakshimul Purbo Para around noon, said SI Mohammad Rakibul Hasan.

He likely died at least a week ago.