Mother kills son, attempts suicide

A woman poisoned to death her four-year-old son and tried to kill herself following a quarrel over her husband's extramarital affair yesterday.

The deceased is Tamim, 4, son of Zyda, 22, and Kamal Mollah, an auto-rickshaw driver living at CI Para in Pirojpur municipality.

Jyda, daughter of Yousuf Mollah of Jessore's Nawapara upazila, said she was married with Kamal through an arrangement by their families around six years ago.

"After three years, Kamal developed an affair with a neighbouring girl, 16.

"As I tried to bring him back from the bad way, quarrel occurred between us and the matter became known to both the families. Kamal would often beat me over the issue," she said.

Following a quarrel over the matter around 8:30pm on Wednesday, she had her son take rat killing poison kept at home. Then she took the poison and together went to a nearby garden.

After a search, family members found them at the garden, both vomiting.

Kamal took his wife and child to Pirojpur Sadar Hospital.

"Under treatment, Tamim died around 4:30am while Zyda was saved. Her condition is improving," said Dr Nani Gopal, resident medical officer of the hospital.

Meanwhile, Kamal went into hiding.

"We have arrested the woman and a murder case will be filed against her. The child's body was sent to the morgue for autopsy," said SM Masuduzzaman, officer in charge of Pirojpur Sadar Police Station.