Until Thursday afternoon, the small room in the Bihari Camp area of Pallabi echoed with the ordinary sounds of family life — children at play, parents busy with survival. 

By midday on 5 February, that same room had fallen eerily silent.

Inside, police recovered the lifeless bodies of four members of one family: Mohammad Masum, 35; his wife, Fatema Akhtar Sumi, 30; and their two young sons — four-year-old Minhaj and two-year-old Asad.

Masum earned his living as a rickshaw puller, while Sumi worked as a domestic help. 

Neighbours say the couple struggled daily to keep their household afloat but tried to maintain a sense of normalcy for their children. That fragile balance, however, may have been strained by mounting financial pressure.

According to locals, the family had taken loans from several microcredit organisations. 

Almost every day, someone would knock on their door demanding repayment instalments — a constant reminder of debt that refused to loosen its grip.

The bodies were discovered when local residents, alarmed by the absence of any movement from the room, entered and found the family lying motionless. 

Police were immediately informed, and the incident sent shockwaves through the densely populated area.

As news spread, suspicions began to surface. A section of residents accused Masum’s brother and other family members, alleging that poison had been mixed with food, killing all four. 

They claim a long-standing family dispute may have led to the tragedy.

Masum’s brother, who lives next door with his own family, has categorically denied the allegations. 

He told reporters that there had been no conflict between them and suggested that Masum had been under severe mental stress due to debt. 

According to him, despair may have driven the family to an irreversible decision.

Police, meanwhile, say they are treating the matter with caution. Initial observations point more towards the possibility of suicide, though no conclusion has yet been reached.

Officer-in-Charge of Pallabi Police Station, A M Alamgir Jahan, said that evidence had been collected from the scene and would be sent for forensic examination. Post-mortem examinations of all four bodies are also being conducted. 

“Only after receiving these reports will the exact cause of death be confirmed,” he said. Following recovery, the bodies were taken to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, where they remain as investigations continue. 

Multiple law enforcement agencies are now involved in uncovering the truth behind the deaths. For now, the small room in Pallabi stands as a stark reminder of lives cut short and questions left unanswered — a tragedy shaped by poverty, pressure and a mystery yet to be resolved.