Decision beats the wits

The couple reportedly went to war-ravaged Syria, a stronghold of the Islamic State, leaving behind first-class government jobs, huge properties and a legacy of pride in Bangladesh.

The man, Rokonuddin Khondoker, a pediatrician of Dhaka Shishu Hospital, and his wife Naima Akhter, an associate professor of Botany of Jessore MM College, used to live in an apartment of a five-storey building in the capital's Khilgaon with two daughters and a son-in-law.

Naima inherited a major portion of the building from her father -- renowned homeopathy physician late Ali Ahmed.

Before leaving Bangladesh in July last year along with the daughters -- Rezwana Rokon Nadia and Ramita Rokon -- and Nadia's husband Saad Qayes Shishir, the couple said they were going to Malaysia and would visit some other countries, said Helal Uddin, a caretaker of the building.

“We will stay abroad forever if we feel better. We will otherwise return within two to three months,” he quoted the doctor as saying at the time.

They communicated with their family members back home one month after they left the country. They informed that they were in a Muslim country and that they would never return, said Helal who has been working at the building for the last eight years.

Nadia and her husband Shishir were students of the English department of North South University. They didn't complete their graduation.

The other daughter, Ramita, was a student of Higher Secondary Certificate at Viqarunnisa Noon School and College.

Law enforcement agencies are suspecting that the entire family was radicalised and is now living in Syria.

The physician has reportedly been serving at an IS controlled hospital there.

The Daily Star could not independently verify this.

A close relative of Naima, requesting anonymity, told The Daily Star that Naima and her daughters were not regular in prayers but inclined more towards religious rituals after the marriage of Nadia and Shishir around two and a half years ago.

“Shishir who used to live with the family might be behind everything,” he said.

Another relative, who also wished to be unnamed, said Rokonuddin's family used to call once a month to talk for not more than three to four minutes.

“They said they were fine. We could not contact them for the last nearly six months,” she said, adding that the family asked her to divide their properties among Naima's relatives.

Earlier, a family of twelve, including three children, went missing in May on their way back from Bangladesh to the UK, reports BBC.

They flew to Bangladesh on April 10, police said, and then to Istanbul on May 11. They were due to arrive at Heathrow three days later but did not.