Three Bangladeshis killed in Italy; prime suspect's mysterious FB post
Allegations of an extramarital affair have emerged following the brutal killing of three members of a Bangladeshi family in Rome, Italy. Italian law enforcement authorities have identified Md. Shahadat Hossain, Member Secretary of the Volunteer Wing of BNP (Swechchhasebak Dal) of Companiganj Upazila in Noakhali, as the prime suspect and have released his photograph to the public.
According to the victims' family, the triple murder occurred during a meeting intended to resolve a long-standing personal dispute.
The incident took place at around 9:00 p.m. local time on Friday (June 26) in a park adjacent to Via Montiglio in Rome's western Aurelio district.
The deceased have been identified as Kamal Uddin Babul (39), his wife Arju Begum (38), and their five-year-old daughter, Arisha. All were originally from Ward No. 5 of Char Kakra Union in Companiganj Upazila, Noakhali. Their elder son, Ayon (18), sustained critical injuries in the attack and is currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Rome. The suspect, Shahadat Hossain, is also a resident of the same union and the son of Abdul Ahad.
Following the killings, Shahadat posted a cryptic message on his Facebook account, writing:
"A person never dies alone. They die while leaving others as if they, too, have died. So when it's time to die, one should take their loved ones along. That way, no one has to suffer for anyone else."
According to local and family sources, Shahadat and Arju allegedly had a close relationship dating back to their time in Bangladesh. The alleged affair reportedly caused serious marital discord, prompting Kamal Uddin to move his wife and children to Italy several years ago. Shahadat later moved to the United Kingdom about four years ago with his family, but after separating from them, he relocated to Italy.
Sources said that on Friday night, Kamal, his wife, and their children met with Shahadat in an attempt to settle the family dispute. During the meeting, an argument reportedly broke out, after which Shahadat allegedly attacked them with a sharp weapon. Kamal, Arju, and young Arisha died at the scene, while Ayon managed to escape despite sustaining serious injuries.
On Saturday (June 27), Italian authorities released Shahadat's photograph on social media, identifying him as the principal suspect in the triple murder case and urging anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact the Rome Police Mobile Unit. Italian media reported that local residents alerted police after hearing screams coming from the park, where officers later recovered the three bodies.
Shahadat's elder brother, Ismail Hossain Harun, who lives in Saudi Arabia, said that Shahadat had sold all of his property and moved to the United Kingdom with his family four years ago. Since then, he had lost contact with the family. Harun added that although he returned to Bangladesh two months ago, he did not communicate with his brother.
The victims' father, Sirajul Islam, claimed that about a year ago, when Kamal visited Bangladesh, he received an anonymous death threat. He said the matter was verbally reported to Companiganj Police Station at the time.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Nurul Hakim of Companiganj Police Station confirmed that the family had verbally informed police about the threat. He said police subsequently monitored their security through regular patrols.
Regarding Shahadat's reported political affiliation, Mahmudur Rahman Ripon, former Member Secretary of the Companiganj Upazila BNP, said he had only seen the matter on Facebook and had no detailed information about it.