21 October, 2026 – BRAHMANBARIA, Bangladesh: The body of Ratna Das, a 30-year-old Hindu housewife who had been missing for four days, was recovered from a pond near her home in Khagalia village, Nasirnagar upazila, Brahmanbaria district, on Wednesday afternoon.
According to police, the body was found tied with rope to a heavy object resembling a cement slab. Her body was recovered from a pond in Bholakut Union, approximately 50 feet from her house.
Ratna was the wife of Sushil Das, who works at a hotel in Brahmanbaria district town. She was originally from Madhyapara in Noagaon Union, Sarail upazila, and had a one-year-old child.
According to family members, Ratna usually slept alone in the house. Her relatives alleged that unidentified assailants stole cash and gold ornaments from the house before killing her and dumping her body in the pond. They suspect that the perpetrators used a rope kept inside the house to tie her to a heavy object before throwing her into the water. These allegations have yet to be confirmed by investigators.
Shahinul Islam, officer-in-charge of Nasirnagar Police Station, confirmed the recovery. He told Prothom Alo that part of the body was floating above the water while the rest remained submerged. The victim’s neck was wrapped in a sari, and both her hands and feet were tied with rope to a heavy object resembling a cement slab.
Police said the body would be sent to the morgue at Brahmanbaria General Hospital for an autopsy. An investigation is underway to determine the circumstances of her death and identify those responsible.
According to local residents and family sources, Ratna disappeared from her home on the night of October 17. After failing to locate her despite extensive searches, her husband filed a General Diary (GD) with Nasirnagar Police Station the following day.
On Wednesday afternoon, local residents noticed something floating in a pond near the family’s home. Upon closer inspection, they discovered a body with its hands and feet tied. Relatives arrived at the scene and identified the body as Ratna’s. Police subsequently recovered it.
Attempts to contact her husband for comment were unsuccessful because his phone was switched off.
Ratna’s maternal uncle, Binod Das, demanded justice for her death. He said his niece had been brutally killed and called for a fair and thorough investigation.
