A horrific double murder has shocked the quiet community of Debidwar Upazila in Cumilla, where a 25-year-old man killed his mother and eight-month-old niece before severely injuring his sister-in-law. The brutal attack took place on Monday morning at the residence of late Farid Miah in South Para village, under the Barashalghar Union. Local residents intervened shortly after the incident, apprehending the suspect, identified as Emon, and handing him over to law enforcement.
According to local accounts, Emon worked as a day labourer until three or four months ago, when he suffered a severe leg fracture during a football match. The injury left him bedridden for months. Despite undergoing multiple surgical procedures, his condition failed to improve, plunging him into deep frustration and physical distress. Driven by despair, Emon attempted suicide on several occasions, but his mother, 65-year-old Piara Begum, and other family members repeatedly intervened to save his life. This frustration ultimately turned into resentment towards his relatives.
On Monday morning, that resentment erupted into violence. Armed with a sharp cleaver, Emon attacked his mother inside their home, hacking her to death. Hearing the commotion, his 25-year-old sister-in-law, Rabeya Akter, rushed to defend her mother-in-law, only to be brutally hacked and critically wounded. In a display of extreme cruelty, Emon then grabbed his eight-month-old niece, Israt Jahan, by her legs and slammed her onto the ground, killing the infant instantly.
Neighbours rushed to the scene upon hearing screams, apprehending Emon before he could flee. Rabeya Akter was initially rushed to Debidwar Upazila Health Complex in a critical condition. Medical personnel quickly transferred her to Cumilla Medical College Hospital as her condition deteriorated, where she remains in intensive care fighting for her life.
Speaking to journalists following his arrest, Emon offered a chilling justification for his actions. He claimed he had been suffering unbearable pain from his injury and wished to die. He stated that because his family members prevented him from taking his own life and refused to end his suffering themselves, he decided to attack them instead.
The child’s father filed a formal murder case against his younger brother at Debidwar Police Station on Monday afternoon. Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Moniruzzaman confirmed that Emon was produced before the Cumilla court and remanded to judicial custody in jail. Post-mortem examinations for Piara Begum and infant Israt Jahan are scheduled prior to releasing their bodies to the family for burial.
