Hotel Employee Accused in Banasree Schoolgirl Murder Case

A wave of shock and grief has swept through South Banasree in Dhaka following the brutal murder of a schoolgirl, with her family alleging that a trusted hotel employee carried out the crime in a premeditated bid to loot cash and gold.

The victim, Fatema Akter Lili, aged 15, was a Class 10 student at Radiant School. She was found with her throat slit inside her family home in the L Block of South Banasree on Saturday afternoon. Police later recovered her body and launched an investigation, while her father filed a murder case at Khilgaon Police Station naming a single accused.

According to family members, the accused—identified as Milton, an employee at the family-run Shahjalal Hotel located directly in front of their residence—has been absconding since the incident. The family believes the killing was meticulously planned after the accused realised the house was largely unoccupied.

Fatema’s father, Sajib Talukder, the owner of Shahjalal Hotel, said he had temporarily closed the hotel and travelled with family members to their ancestral home in Lakhai, Habiganj, due to personal reasons. At the time, only his two daughters were staying in the Dhaka house. He had instructed Milton to collect food from the house while the hotel remained closed.

Tragically, that familiarity appears to have been exploited. Fatema’s elder sister, Shobha, stated that Milton regularly collected food from their home. On Friday night at around 11:00 pm, he came to collect food, which Fatema passed through the gap beneath the door as it was late. The following afternoon, Milton reportedly returned. Shobha said that when she left the house, Milton also stepped out, but later re-entered the premises.

Upon receiving alarming news, Shobha rushed back home and discovered her sister lying dead, her throat cut. The family alleges that the accused initially strangled Fatema with a rope, dragged her into the kitchen, and then used a sharp cleaver to slash her throat. After killing her, he is accused of fleeing with approximately five bhori of gold jewellery, around Tk 500,000 in cash, and Fatema’s mobile phone.

Police sources indicated that the hotel was financially successful, and the absence of adult family members may have emboldened the suspect. Khilgaon Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shafikul Islam confirmed that a murder case has been registered and that efforts are under way to arrest the accused. Investigators believe further motives or accomplices, if any, may emerge once the suspect is detained and interrogated.

The murder has sparked widespread outrage in the neighbourhood, with local residents gathering outside the tin-shed house along Avenue Road, demanding swift justice for the young student whose life was cut short in a place meant to be safe.

Key Details of the Incident

The tragic killing has once again raised urgent questions about domestic security, trust, and the vulnerability of minors, as the community waits for justice to be served.