It all happened before her eyes

Synthia looked at her mother Mojida Khatun Doly with hollow eyes. Still reeling under trauma, the 13-year-old barely spoke or moved as she laid on an ICU bed in the capital.

It had barely been a day since she had witnessed her father killing her brother, and then taking his own life. Her father even tried to strangle Synthia to death before killing himself.

On Sunday, police recovered the body of Moshiur Rahman Sabuj, 55, former sub-assistant engineer at a real estate company, and his 18-year-old son Modabbir Rahman Sadaf, a college student, from their flat in the capital's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

Synthia, a seventh grader, was found unconscious on the floor, with strangulation marks around her neck.

Mojida, wife of the deceased, yesterday filed two cases with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station -- one over the murder of her son and another for the unnatural death of Moshiur. The deceased father was made accused in the murder case, said Ahad Ali, officer-in-charge of the station.

Hailing from Bogura's Gabtoli, Moshiur's family has been living in the house for the last three years.

Losing his job a few years ago before the pandemic, Moshiur had been financially struggling for the last several years. Trying out different ways to earn, Moshiur had invested in the stock market and also booked a property in Dakshinkhan.

However, he went into depression after losing his investment while the land documents came out to be forged. He took his own life after strangling his children, according to investigators.

"My husband failed to recover the money he had given for the land. Meanwhile, hardships increased, sparking turmoil within the family. Unable to pay off small amounts he had loaned from relatives further added to his depression," said Doly, currently working as a teacher at a coaching centre. Her son also gave tuition to contribute to the family's expenses.

Manik Bhuiyan, the building's caretaker, mentioned that although the family usually paid Tk 12,000 rent on time, they had failed to do so this month.

"Moshiur appeared distressed when he and his son went for Fajr prayer on Sunday. He did not go out after that," he added

The bodies were sent to Bogura for burial while Doly stayed behind with her daughter.