Mother, son murdered

A retired army official and his mother were stabbed to death following a dispute over land in Sirajganj early Thursday, police and family members said.

The victims are Altaf Hossain Mukul, 65, and his mother Rizia Khatun, 95, of Moheshpur village under Ullapara upazila.

“They stabbed Altaf and his mother while they were asleep at home. Police recovered the bodies with multiple stab wounds in the morning after being informed by neighbours,” said Dewan Kawshik Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Ullapara Police Station.

Altaf and some villagers were at loggerheads over ownership of a piece of land on which Altaf had set up a mosque recently, said Altaf’s daughter Roksana Hossain.

“My father was facing wrath from the villagers for setting up the mosque,” she said.

Durganagar Union Chairman Md Afsar Ali told this correspondent that some of Altaf’s relatives and acquaintances went against him after the mosque was built on the disputed land.

“The murderers put a sign with blood on a wall of the mosque after killing them,” he said.

OC Dewan said, “Primary investigation suggests that there has been disputes between Altaf and villagers on various issues. The establishment of the mosque was one of them.”

Three suspects have been caught, he said, but declined to give their names.