House help ‘loots family in Dhaka after poisoning them’

A house-help allegedly looted a house in Dhaka's South Rajarbagh area after poisoning six members of the family last night.

The victims are Jahanara Begum (70), Rumana (57), Parul Aktar (40), Selina (50), Abir (15) and Nafiz (17).

They fell unconscious after eating the food allegedly served by Lima (35), said Mahbub Alam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Sabujbagh Police Station, adding that she put something in the food.

The six were rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital around midnight where their stomachs had to be pumped. Later they were transferred to Mitford Hospital and are out of danger currently, the OC added.

The accused domestic worker was hired last week to take care of Suraiya Begum, the elderly mother of Parul who had undergone a surgery recently, said a relative of the family, Ismail Hasan.

Suraiya breathed her last on Monday. Relatives visited the house for the funeral, few of whom stayed back, Ismail said.

Yesterday, two women including Lima's sister visited her at the house. Lima served dinner to the members of the family after her guests left.

After the family members fell unconscious, she looted the house and fled, the OC said. The details of how much Lima managed to steal could not be known yet, he added. Lima is on the run.