The mysterious deaths of a Hindu mother and her two young daughters at a government guesthouse in Bangladesh’s southern Barguna district have sparked growing public concern, with family members alleging murder, authorities continuing their investigation, and minority rights advocates questioning whether all possible motives have been properly examined.
The victims — Iti Rani, a member of Bangladesh’s Hindu minority community, and her daughters Adhara Biswas and Anuradha Biswas — were found dead on June 3 inside two separate rooms of the Barguna District Council Dak Bungalow.
While investigators have indicated that preliminary evidence points toward suicide, relatives insist the deaths were the result of murder and accuse authorities of reaching conclusions before the investigation is complete.
The case has attracted particular attention because the victims belonged to the Hindu community, one of Bangladesh’s largest religious minorities. Although police have not identified any evidence suggesting a communal or religious motive, local residents and community members have called for a thorough and transparent investigation to determine whether the family was specifically targeted and to address growing public speculation surrounding the deaths.
The bodies were recovered at approximately 4:30 p.m. on June 3 from two rooms of the government-run guesthouse. According to police, Iti Rani had been working as a temporary cleaner at the facility for nearly two months. Investigators said sleeping pills and a bottle of water were recovered from the scene.
Since the discovery, the circumstances surrounding the deaths have remained shrouded in uncertainty. Public suspicion intensified after portions of CCTV footage from the guesthouse were circulated on social media on June 5, two days after the bodies were found.
The footage, lasting approximately 11 minutes and 50 seconds, appears to show several individuals approaching and entering rooms on the third floor of the guesthouse before the bodies were discovered. However, critics say the video is incomplete and heavily edited, raising questions about whether crucial evidence has been withheld from public view.
Analysis of the footage shows a man knocking on the door of one of the rooms at around 3:10 p.m. before entering an adjacent room. He later returns to the area multiple times. Another individual subsequently arrives, and both men are seen moving around the floor where the victims were later found.
Observers have questioned why repeated visits to the rooms did not immediately prompt concern, whether any unusual circumstances were reported to authorities at the time, and why emergency medical assistance was not sought sooner if there were signs of distress.
Additional concerns have emerged regarding the guesthouse’s surveillance system. The date and time displayed on the released footage appear inconsistent with the known timeline of the incident, suggesting that the CCTV system may not have been properly configured.
For many residents, the discrepancy is troubling.
Questions have been raised about how a government facility such as the District Council guesthouse could operate with inaccurate surveillance records and whether the time-stamp discrepancy may complicate efforts to reconstruct the events leading to the deaths.
Another CCTV clip circulating online has generated further controversy. The footage appears to show Iti Rani entering Room 303 carrying a small black handbag. Family members later noted that the same bag was reportedly recovered from Room 304, where one of the daughters was found dead. The apparent movement of the bag between rooms has become another focal point of public scrutiny.
Relatives of the victims have been among the strongest critics of the suicide theory.
Speaking to reporters after viewing the bodies, Iti Rani’s husband, Dulal Biswas, alleged that his daughters had been killed.
“My children were killed by strangulation. I saw marks on their necks. How can this be called suicide? This is murder. Everything has been taken away from me. I want justice for the killers,” he said.
The deaths have prompted demonstrations and public gatherings in Barguna, where residents have demanded full disclosure of all available CCTV recordings and an impartial investigation.
Authorities, however, say the inquiry remains ongoing and that no final determination has been made.
Immediately after the bodies were recovered on June 3, Barguna Superintendent of Police Muhammad Kudrat-e-Khuda spoke to journalists at the scene and cautioned against drawing premature conclusions.
“Five sleeping pills and a bottle of water were recovered from the room where the elder daughter’s body was found. Preliminary findings suggest the incident may have been premeditated. However, we are investigating to determine the actual cause and whether there were any other factors behind the deaths,” he said.
In a subsequent statement regarding the investigation, the police chief said authorities had collected approximately six hours of CCTV footage from the guesthouse and formed an additional investigative team led by the Detective Branch.
“Our investigation through the local police station is ongoing. A separate shadow investigation team led by the Detective Branch officer-in-charge has also been formed. The actual cause behind the deaths of Iti Rani and her two daughters will be uncovered and made public. If any irregularities are found, appropriate legal action will be taken,” Kudrat-e-Khuda said.
The police statement has done little to calm public skepticism. Many residents continue to ask why only selected portions of surveillance footage have been released despite police confirming that several hours of recordings remain in their possession.
The case has also renewed discussion about the safety and security of religious minorities in Bangladesh. While there is currently no evidence linking the deaths to anti-Hindu violence or religious persecution, rights advocates note that transparency is essential to maintaining public confidence in the investigation and dispelling speculation.
Human rights observers say a credible investigation will require full forensic analysis, comprehensive review of all surveillance footage, and clear public disclosure of the findings.
Until those questions are answered, the deaths of Iti Rani and her two daughters are likely to remain one of the most closely watched and controversial criminal investigations in Bangladesh in recent months.
