Mohammadpur Murder: Domestic Worker Arrested

The tranquil neighbourhood of Mohammadpur was plunged into shock and horror yesterday following the gruesome double murder of a mother and her teenage daughter. Police have arrested a domestic worker, identified as Ayesha, in connection with the killings, which took place on Shahjahan Road in the heart of the capital. Ayesha was apprehended in Jhalokathi and subsequently brought to Mohammadpur Police Station for questioning.

Speaking to reporters, Mohammadpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mezbaha Uddin confirmed that the suspect, dressed in a burqa, entered the apartment on Monday morning and killed both victims before fleeing. The deceased have been identified as Layla Afroze, 48, and her 15-year-old daughter, Nafisa Lawal binte Aziz.

Investigations indicate that Ayesha had been employed at the family home for just four days, presenting herself under the name “Ayesha.” Nafisa, a diligent ninth-grade student at Mohammadpur Preparatory School, lived with her parents on the seventh floor of a Shahjahan Road apartment at 32/2. Her father, M.Z. Azizul Islam, is a physics teacher at Sunbeams School in Uttara.

CCTV footage reviewed by authorities shows that at 7:51 a.m., shortly after Mr Islam left for school, Ayesha entered the residence in a burqa. Approximately ninety minutes later, she left the apartment wearing Nafisa’s school uniform and a face mask. It was only upon his return at 11 a.m. that Mr Islam discovered his wife and daughter lying lifeless in a pool of blood.

Police revealed that Layla was attacked first while Nafisa attempted desperately to raise an alarm via the dining room intercom. Her heroic efforts were tragically unsuccessful, and she was fatally stabbed during the struggle. Officers recovered two knives from the bathroom—a switch-gear knife and a fruit-cutting knife—suspected to have been used in the killings. The building’s security guard, Malek, has been detained for questioning.

Preliminary investigations into Ayesha’s background show that she was born in a village in Rangpur, orphaned after her parents perished in a fire, and had been living with her uncle and aunt in Geneva Camp. She also bears visible burn scars on her body.

Neighbours who visited the apartment described a scene of devastation: bloodstains across floors and furniture, overturned chairs, and missing mobile phones. Police are meticulously cataloguing the evidence as the investigation continues.

This horrific crime has left the Mohammadpur community reeling with grief and fear. Authorities have assured the public that every measure is being taken to bring all responsible parties to justice.