A 36-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of killing her 80-year-old mother with a sharp cleaver in Daganbhuiyan upazila of Feni district, Bangladesh. Three other people were injured in the incident, while the accused, Rina Akter Ranu, reportedly attempted to take her own life by hanging herself.
The incident occurred at around 9.30pm on Sunday at a family residence in Purba Chandrapur village, at Badsha Mia’s house. The victim, Setara Begum, was the wife of Hossain Mia.
According to local accounts, Ranu allegedly confined other family members in a room before repeatedly attacking her mother with the sharp weapon. Setara died at the scene.
The situation reportedly remained tense after the attack. Ranu, still carrying the cleaver, moved from one room to another and locked the doors from inside, preventing others from entering. The incident caused alarm among family members and local residents.
Police from Daganbhuiyan Police Station arrived after receiving information about the incident. Officers initially struggled to enter the house because the doors had been secured from inside. After a prolonged effort, they broke through an iron door and entered the residence, where they recovered Setara Begum’s body.
Three other people were also reported to have been injured. However, details about their identities, the severity of their injuries and their medical condition were not immediately available.
Family had planned mental health treatment
Local residents said Ranu had reportedly been showing signs of mental health difficulties in recent weeks. According to their accounts, she had previously attempted to kill her husband. Following that alleged incident, she was brought from her marital home to her parents’ house.
Ranu’s elder sister said the family had planned to take her to the mental health hospital in Pabna for treatment on Tuesday. The fatal incident occurred before the planned visit could take place.
The family claimed that Ranu’s mental health had deteriorated after her husband married a second time. However, this explanation has not been independently verified, and no medical assessment establishing a connection between the reported difficulties and the alleged killing was available in the initial account.
The circumstances surrounding the reported earlier incident and the family’s concerns about Ranu’s mental health may be relevant to the investigation. Nevertheless, the precise motive for the alleged attack remains unclear.
Police confirm arrest
Fayzul Azim Noman, officer-in-charge of Daganbhuiyan Police Station, confirmed that Ranu had been detained in connection with the killing.
The incident has raised concern in the local community, particularly because the victim was an elderly woman who was allegedly attacked inside her own family home. The injuries sustained by the three other people also form part of the circumstances that investigators will need to clarify.
Further investigation is required to establish the sequence of events, determine the circumstances in which the other individuals were injured and establish the motive behind the alleged attack. The family’s claims regarding Ranu’s mental health will also require appropriate verification.
The case highlights the importance of timely access to mental health assessment and treatment when significant behavioural changes are reported. However, mental health concerns alone cannot establish the cause of an alleged crime or determine criminal responsibility. Those questions must be addressed through appropriate medical assessment, police investigation and legal proceedings.
