Demra police retrieved the bodies of Runa Akhter Rony, 20, and her daughter of above three years, Rupa, from their tin-roofed house near Narikelbagan Mosque at Dhalpur at about 3:30pm yesterday.

Police suspect that Abdus Sattar, a drill runner, hacked his wife to death and strangled Rupa with a rope. Police seized a blood stained knife from the spot.

After the killing, he had locked the door from outside and fled. Police could not arrest him till 8:00pm last night, said a source.

Shanti Begum, a neighbour of the slain, said Sattar was home when she for the last time saw Rony at about 12 on Friday night. She was preparing milk for her daughter. "As we found no trace of Rony and her daughter till 2:00pm, we entered the house and found the bodies wrapped in a blanket. And immediately we informed the police," she said.

Rony's mother Monwara Akhtar Munni said that her daughter was first married to Mohammad Selim five years ago, and was divorced three and a half years ago as they failed to give him a dowry of Tk 20,000.

About a year ago, Rony married Abdus Sattar, but he too demanded a dowry. "Several months ago, Sattar demanded Tk 5,000 for buying a drill machine, but as I couldn't meet his demand he started to beat my daughter regularly," Monwara, a domestic help, told The Daily Star.

Monwara yesterday filed a murder case with Demra Police Station accusing Abdus Sattar of committing the grisly crime.