The killer in a mother

Who could know the grinning face of a killer was hiding behind the mother's smile?

Several photos of the "happy" family were hanging on the living room wall, with two daughters holding their parents tightly.

But it was beyond the farthest imagination of the two daughters that their mother's hands, that assuage all her children's pains with utmost care, would take their breaths away.

The mother, Aktarunnesa Popy, on Saturday slit the tender throats of her two girls with her own hands in the capital's Khilgaon area. After killing the daughters, she also tried to commit suicide.

Police recovered the bodies of two daughters, Mehezabin Alvi, 11, and Jannatul Ferdous, 6, from the third floor of a residential building at the South Goran area.

"The girls were stabbed to death while their mother was rescued with burn injuries," Krishna Pada Roy, additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, told media.

The mother admitted to killing her daughters and her attempted suicide over a family feud, he added.

The mother claimed to police that the feud erupted because their father, Mozammel Haque Biplob – a businessman, did not allow the girls to continue their studies.

The woman was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital while the bodies of the daughters were sent to Mugda Medical College and Hospital for autopsy.

Dr Samonto Lal Sen told reporters that around 18 percent of Popy's body has been burnt but she is now out of danger.

Nurunnahar, owner of the building, told The Business Standard that the family has been living there for two years.

While talking to media at DMCH's burn unit, Popy said her husband did not look after her and her daughters.

"The two girls would study at National Ideal School and College. Mozammel does business with his brother in Srinagar, Munshiganj. But what he earns is all taken away by his brother because Mozammel has no record of his earning and nor did he want to give us family expenditure properly," she added while lying in a hospital bed.

"When I asked for money, he misbehaved with me and threatened me to divorce. He always wanted me to go to his village in Srinagar and admit the daughters into a local madrasa. I could not agree to the decision," Aktarunnesa further said.

"He met us on February 28 and was supposed to meet us again on Friday last but did not come," she said.

When asked why she killed her daughters, Popy did not reply to the question.

Anu (OR ABU) Taleb, father of Popy, told The Business Standard that her daughter got married with Mozammel 12 years ago.

"They were a happy family at the beginning; but day by the day, the situation was worsening. There was often a quarrel between the spouses. But, I cannot say what actually happened last morning [Saturday]," he said.

During the primary interrogation, Mozammel Haque claimed to police that her wife was mentally sick, and that they used to engage in quarrel but there was no situation to kill own daughters, said Assistant Police Commissioner Zulfikar Ali.