Grandmother and Granddaughter Murder: Accused Sharif Gives Horrific Confession in DB Custody

Pabna District Detective Branch (DB) police have solved the mystery of the brutal murder of a grandmother and her teenage granddaughter in Ishwardi, Pabna, within 24 hours. During interrogation at the police station, one of the two detained youths, Sharif, confessed to the crime and provided a chilling account of the incident. He is the maternal uncle of the deceased teenager.

Pabna DB OC Rashidul Islam said a special DB team began investigating the double murder. Using local information and technology, they arrested suspect Shariful Islam (known as Sharif) around 10 pm on Saturday night. During intensive questioning at the DB office, Sharif confessed and gave a detailed, horrifying description of the murders.

Sharif admitted that he attempted to sexually harass the girl and, enraged by her resistance, killed both Sufia Khatun (65), mother of Joynal Khan, and her granddaughter Jamila Akter (15). Both Sharif and the victims are residents of Bhabanipur Uttarpara village in Dashuria union, Ishwardi upazila. Jamila was a ninth-grade student at a local madrasa.

According to family sources, Jamila’s father Joynal Khan often stayed in Savar, Dhaka, at his elder daughter’s in-laws’ house due to work. Jamila lived with her grandmother Sufia Khatun in the village home. The father was not present during the incident.

During DB interrogation, arrested truck driver Shariful Islam Sharif gave a detailed account of the murders. He is the son of Mofazzal Hossain from Bhabanipur Uttarpara village.

According to Sharif’s confession: On 21 February night, he went to Jamila’s house to deliver groceries. Taking advantage of Sufia Khatun’s absence, he tried to sexually harass the girl. Enraged, Jamila slapped him. Humiliated, Sharif left.

A few days later, on the night of Friday (27 February) into Saturday, Sharif returned to the house. This time, he asked forgiveness from Sufia Khatun and Jamila for the previous incident. When Sufia refused and shouted, Sharif became furious. He picked up a wooden stick lying nearby and struck Sufia repeatedly on the head. As the elderly woman fell, Jamila began screaming. Enraged further, Sharif hit Jamila on the head and forehead with the same tool (a plasterer’s trowel used by masons). When Jamila collapsed, Sharif dragged her toward an open mustard field beside the house.

Midway, near the pond, he raped the teenager. Then, he strangled her to ensure death and dumped the body in the mustard field before fleeing.

Earlier, Ishwardi OC Mominuzzaman and Circle Additional SP Pranab Kumar had suspected: “The teenager was raped before being murdered.”

On Friday (27 February) after midnight, locals in Bhabanipur Uttarpara village heard cries and came out but returned home when the sounds stopped. On Saturday morning, relatives found Sufia Begum’s blood-soaked body in the courtyard. While searching for Jamila, they discovered her naked body in a nearby mustard field. Deceased Sufia Begum was the wife of late Najim Uddin Khan of the village, and Jamila Akter was a student of Kalikapur Dakhil Madrasa in Class 10 and a Hafiza. With no adult male at home, grandmother and granddaughter lived together.

Upon receiving the news, Rajshahi Range Additional DIG Khandaker Md. Shamim Hossain and Pabna SP Anwar Jahid visited the scene. They assured quick arrest of the culprits and revelation of the true motive, though the exact motive behind the murders is yet to be confirmed. Both bodies have been sent to Pabna General Hospital morgue for autopsy.