Sons used 'honey trap' to abduct and kill father over property dispute: PBI

Two brothers allegedly lured their elderly father into a "honey trap", abducted him and strangled him to death in Chattogram over a dispute involving family property, according to the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI).

The victim, Mujibur Rahman, a professional cook from the Chambal area of Banshkhali upazila, was allegedly murdered in an orchestrated plot after his sons became resentful over his decision to sell parts of his property to support his daughters, investigators said.

Revealing details of the case at a press briefing today (15 June), PBI Chattogram Metro Superintendent of Police SM Rafiqul Islam said a woman was used to gain Mujibur's trust before the killing was carried out.

According to the PBI, Mujibur had been married three times and had two sons from his first marriage and one daughter each from his second and third marriages.

In his later years, he lived with his daughters and sold portions of his property to provide financial support to them. Investigators believe this led to tensions with his two sons from the first marriage, who eventually planned to kill him.

As part of the scheme, one of the accused, Belal Hossain, allegedly asked a woman known to him to establish contact with Mujibur. The woman gradually developed a close relationship with the elderly man through regular phone conversations and allegedly promised to arrange a marriage for him.

"On 7 June 2024, Mujibur Rahman went to the woman's residence. It was a pre-planned trap," Rafiqul Islam told reporters.

"During the hospitality, sleeping pills were mixed into a soft drink or sherbet served to him. Once the medicine took effect and he became physically weak, Belal and his elder brother Abdul Jalil arrived at the house."

Investigators said the brothers then transported Mujibur in a CNG-run autorickshaw, introducing him as a sick patient, and took him to the CRB area. He was later transferred to a rented microbus and driven around different parts of the city while the suspects searched for a secluded location.

They eventually reached the Outer Link Road area in Halishahar.

"In the evening, inside the microbus, Belal and Jalil wrapped a towel around Mujibur Rahman's neck and pulled it from both ends, causing his death," the PBI official said.

The body was later dumped in roadside bushes before the suspects fled the scene.

After Mujibur went missing, his daughter filed a general diary with Kotwali Police Station.

The investigation took a significant turn when police recovered the victim's mobile phone from the residence of Belal's in-laws.

According to investigators, Belal went into hiding in the Cox's Bazar area after the case was filed and remained there for an extended period. He was arrested recently after returning to his locality.

During interrogation, Belal reportedly described how the murder was carried out and identified the crime scene. Based on information obtained from him, police later arrested Abdul Jalil.

Investigators also found that police had recovered an unidentified body from the same Halishahar area two days after the alleged murder.

According to the PBI, the towel found around the body's neck and the clothing matched descriptions provided by the suspects.

Police suspect the body is that of Mujibur Rahman, although a DNA test will be conducted to confirm the identity.

Investigators believe the killing was motivated by a dispute over family property. Belal has already given a confessional statement before a court in connection with the case, according to the PBI.