Police recovered the bodies of three members of one family from their home in West Chanderkola village, Raripara Union, in Kachua upazila of Bagerhat on Tuesday morning. The dead were identified as Monira Begum, 55, wife of the late Abdar Ali Howlader; their son Ahad Howlader, 22; and Monira Begum’s mother, Rashida Begum, 85.

Police and local sources said several neighbouring women saw Rashida Begum’s body on the house veranda at about 1pm on Tuesday. After calling for family members, they entered the home and found the bodies of Monira Begum and Ahad Howlader inside. Police later arrived and recovered the bodies. Police and representatives of the Police Bureau of Investigation were at the scene.

Kachua police station officer-in-charge Harun Or Rashid said there were injury marks on the victims’ heads, leading police to initially suspect murder. He said the incident may have occurred two to three days earlier and had not been noticed because few people visited the house. Preparations were under way to send the bodies for autopsies to determine the exact cause of death, while police began investigating the case and seeking to identify those involved.