Third member of Cardiff family, woman, 20, dies from ‘poisoning’ in Bangladesh

A woman from a British family has died from suspected poisoning in Sylhet, Bangladesh, media reports said.

Samira Islam, 20, is the third and latest victim from a family of five who were on a two-month holiday visiting relatives in the south Asian country. They were from the Riverside area of Cardiff in Wales.

Islam died last week after she was discovered unconscious in a locked room by police officers on 26 July.

Her father, Rafiqul Islam, 51, a taxi driver, and his 16-year-old son, Mahiqul, also died in the rented flat Sylhet last month.

According to the BBC, Samira Islam’s mother, Husnara, 45, and the older son, Sadiqul, 24, were recovered and released from the hospital.

After eating dinner on 25 July, the family were found unconscious the following day by relatives who raised the alarm.

“Our primary suspicion is they were poisoned,” said Supt Farid Uddin. “Our investigators are speaking with the relatives of the victims. So far we don’t think they have any enmity with anyone,” said Uddin.

Reports said that all family members had slept in the same room and the doors were locked. There was no sign of forced entry.

Some reports suggested that the tragedy happened due to the use of a faulty electricity generator in the property as there was no power at night.

Masudul Amin, the investigating officer, told the BBC: “We are also speaking with the relatives who were in the apartment and other residents of the building. No one has been detained or arrested in this murder.”

“It’s very terrible. It’s very tragic, hard to take in. The circumstances are not clear. We’re praying that those who have survived will pull through. We’re praying for them all," Muhibur Islam, an official at the Jalalia mosque and Islamic education centre who has known the family for many years was quoted as saying by the broadcaster.

Kanaya Singh, a Labour councillor for Riverside, hoped that the authorities will be able to get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible. 

Hundreds of people came out in Sylhet to pay their respects at the funeral of Rafiqul and Mahiqul, reports said.