Tangail, Bangladesh (BBN) - A mother with her three daughters was burnt alive in the country’s central Tangail district early Tuesday, police said.
Police also suspected that the house was set on fire by sprinkling petrol after a proposal for marriage was spurned.
"Some miscreants poured petrol into the house after 3.0am (local time) through the windows and set it alight. The fire spread quickly and all four were burnt alive," a local police official explained.
Hasna Begum, 35, was sleeping with her daughters Mariam Akter, 14, Moli Akter, 6, and Meem Akter, 4, at their house in Dakkhin Sohagpara village when the incident took place.
Hasna’s husband, Mozibor Rahman, is an expatriate living in Singapore.
The police officer also said neighbour Baharuddin's son Jahangir had been proposing to marry Majib's eldest daughter Mariam for a while. "After the marraige proposal was rejected, we feel angry members of Jahangir's family may have set fire to the house."
Another police official said Jahangir and his family members had been absconding since the incident. “Police are launching drives to arrest Jahangir and other the culprits.”
Police detained three people till 10:30am in connection with the arson.
BBN/SSR/AD-07Oct14-1:22 pm (BST)