Police have arrested the prime suspect in the brutal murder of a woman and her teenage daughter in Anwara upazila of Chattogram, claiming that the killings were motivated by an attempt to evade repayment of a loan and recover a debt-related legal document.
The information was disclosed by Chattogram District Police Superintendent (SP) Md. Masud Alam at a press briefing held at his office on Monday.
The victims were identified as Eni Barua (40) and her daughter Priyanti Barua (16). The incident occurred between 10.30 pm and 11 pm on June 13 in Chenamoti village under Pairakora Union of Anwara. A five-year-old child was present in the house during the attack sustained injuries but survived.
According to police, officers from Anwara Police Station responded to a call received through the national emergency service 999 and recovered the blood-stained bodies of the mother and daughter from the house. Following the incident, multiple teams from the District Detective Branch (DB) and local police launched an investigation.
Based on technological analysis, intelligence inputs, and information gathered from local residents, police arrested Rimon Barua alias Teju Barua from Patiya on Sunday night (June 14). He is the cousin-in-law of the deceased woman.
Addressing the media, Superintendent Masud Alam said the accused had confessed his involvement during preliminary interrogation. According to investigators, Rimon had borrowed Tk 117,000 from the victim’s husband, Sujan Barua, to purchase an auto-rickshaw. A written stamp agreement had been executed regarding repayment of the loan with interest through installments.
Police said disputes arose after the accused failed to make regular payments. In an attempt to retrieve the debt document and free himself from the financial obligation, he allegedly waited behind the victims’ house on the night of the incident.
Investigators said that when Eni Barua opened the rear door of the house and stepped outside, the accused attacked her with a knife. Hearing her mother's screams, Priyanti rushed to the scene and was also stabbed. The suspect later fled with a mobile phone belonging to the victims and allegedly threw the murder weapon into a nearby canal.
Following his arrest, police recovered the knife from the canal and the stolen mobile phone from a pond in Patiya based on information provided by the suspect.
Police said investigators have found no evidence of any broader conspiracy or alternative motive. Preliminary findings suggest that financial disputes and family-related conflicts were the primary factors behind the double murder.
A case has been filed with Anwara Police Station, and police have sought to record the accused's confessional statement before a court under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.