A year before the killing of three members of a family from Noakhali’s Companiganj Upazila in the Italian capital of Rome, relatives say their village home received a death threat from a gang of robbers.
The letter demanded gold ornaments and money from the family, saying if the demands were not met, they would kill the expatriate son and grandson of the patriarch and torture the women. The family had reported the matter to the local police.
The brutal killings in Rome have not only shaken the family, but also the entire expatriate community, said Companiganj Upazila administrator (UNO) Md Masudur Rahman.
The killings took place late on Friday night inside a residential flat on Via Montilio Road, near Pineta Sacchetti in western Rome, according to Italy's state news agency ANSA and local media.
The only son of the family was injured in the incident and is undergoing treatment in the hospital.
The dead have been identified as Kamal Uddin Babul, 39, who hailed from Companiganj’s Charkankara Union, his wife, 38, and their five-year-old daughter Arwa Islam Arisha.
Kamal was the only son of Sirajul Islam. He has five sisters.
Kamal initially went to Italy alone. He later took his family to the country. Before going to Italy, Kamal's family also lived in rented houses in Basirhat and Dhaka for a time.
According to various media outlets in Rome, neighbours heard screams and noise from the flat during the time of the incident and informed the police. The police went to the spot and recovered the three bloodied bodies. Babul's 20-year-old son, Ayan, was also rescued in a serious condition and admitted to the local Gemelli University Hospital.
On Saturday morning, relatives in Bangladesh received news of the attack through relatives in Italy. A shadow of grief descended on the area when the news spread.
Babul's nephew, Afnan Hossain Naim, said: "When my uncle came to the country, he would sincerely socialise with everyone. He also took part in various local social activities. We are all stunned by such a brutal incident."
According to locals, even though he had lived abroad for a long time, the people of the village had close contact with Babul. The locality is in deep grief at the family’s tragic deaths.
Immediately after the incident, Italian police launched an investigation into the murders, collecting evidence and questioning witnesses to find the motive.
Relatives and neighbours in Bangladesh have demanded that those involved in the murder be brought to justice as soon as possible.
Babul’s family alleges that, on the night of Jul 2, 2025, a letter sent by air mail from an alleged gang calling themselves the “Lal Bahini”, or “Red Army”, was found under the gate of Sirajul’s house. It demanded that the family hand over their gold jewellery and money.
Relatives said if the demands were not met, the letter threatened to kill Babul and his son and torture his wife and daughter.
Sirajul informed the police about the threat and his concerns about the family’s security. The day after receiving the letter, he also filed a written complaint with the Companyganj Police Station and the local Army camp, citing the death threats and fears of a robbery.
However, Companyganj Police Station chief Nurul Hakim told reporters: "We were informed about the matter verbally at the time. We have regularly provided security to the family. Today, we have come to know about the murders of three people in Italy."