A court in Dhaka has placed housemaid Ayesha and her husband Rabbi Sikder on remand in connection with the brutal murder of a mother and daughter inside their Mohammadpur flat – a case that has shocked the capital and exposed alarming gaps in domestic worker verification.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mahbub Alam on Thursday ordered a six-day remand for Ayesha and three days for Rabbi, after Mohammadpur police sought 10 days for each to interrogate them over their suspected roles in the double killing. No defence lawyer appeared in court during the hearing.
According to case documents, Sub-Inspector Md Shahidul Osman Masum told the court that detailed questioning was essential to uncover the full motive behind the murders and identify whether anyone else was involved.
Victims found with throat slit
The murders came to light on December 8, when AJM Azizul Islam, husband and father of the victims, returned home after failing to reach them by phone. He found his wife Laila Firoz dead with her throat slit and their daughter Nafisa critically injured. The young girl was rushed to Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared her dead.
CCTV footage later showed housemaid Ayesha entering the flat at 7:51am and leaving at 9:35am carrying Nafisa’s mobile phone, a laptop and gold ornaments. Investigators believe the killings were carried out during this window.
Arrest after district-to-district manhunt
Police arrested Ayesha and Rabbi on Wednesday from Nalchhiti in Jhalakathi, following a frantic escape across several districts. A stolen laptop was recovered from their possession, and detectives say Ayesha has already confessed.
At a briefing, DMP Additional Commissioner SN Nazrul Islam described how officers identified Ayesha from an older police record containing her photograph – marked by distinctive burn scars. She was known to police and residents of Geneva Camp for theft, identity concealment and disappearing from employers’ homes.
Investigators traced Rabbi after learning he had once repaired Ayesha’s damaged mobile phone, enabling police to track the SIM previously used in the device. Teams raided multiple locations – including Hemayetpur, Mohammadpur, Patuakhali and Jhalakathi – before finally apprehending the couple.
3 days of employment, a small theft, then murder
Ayesha had been employed by Laila’s family for only three days. Police say she kept her face veiled throughout, preventing proper identification.
On her second day, she allegedly stole Tk 2,000, sparking an argument with Laila. The following day, Ayesha returned carrying a switch-gear knife. Another row broke out over the missing money – and investigators believe it escalated into a fatal attack.
Police say Ayesha stabbed Laila first. When Nafisa tried to save her mother, she too was stabbed.
In her escape, Ayesha allegedly wore Nafisa’s school uniform, took valuables, and fled the building. She later changed her clothes at her mother’s home in Savar before travelling to Manikganj and discarding the blood-stained garments in the Singair River.
Police urge domestic worker verification
The DMP has urged Dhaka residents to properly verify domestic workers before hiring them, stressing that structured identity checks and up-to-date records are vital to preventing similar tragedies.
The investigation continues, with police expected to question the couple in custody over the coming days to establish whether the murders were premeditated and if others were involved.