British father and son found dead after ‘suspected poisoning’ in Bangladesh
Mother and two other children in hospital after family of five found unconscious inside rental property
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A British father and his teenage son have died and the rest of their family are in hospital as Bangladeshi police probe whether they were poisoned.
Police found the family of five unconscious at a rented flat in the eastern city of Sylhet on Tuesday afternoon.
It is understood the father, in his 50s, died alongside his 16 year-old son.
The man’s wife, his daughter and a second son are said to be undergoing treatment at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College and Hospital (SOMCH).
The family, who are reportedly from the Riverside area of Cardiff, were said to have been on a visit to the country when the incident happened.
Sylhet district superintendent of police Farid Uddin told WalesOnline the incident was believed to be a case of poisoning but that an investigation was still ongoing.
He said: “After discussing the overall situation with the doctors and inspecting the scene we believe this may have been a case of poisoning.
“The investigation is ongoing into whether it is poisoning or something else.”
He also confirmed close relatives of the family lived in the same building, adding: “At the moment we believe they fell asleep after dinner last night.
“This must be investigated further. How were they poisoned? How did they die? We will be able to confirm after an investigation.”
The family is understood to have slept in the same room after eating dinner on Monday evening.
Relatives raised the alarm after trying unsuccessfully to open the door to the flat at about 10am on Tuesday.
One neighbour in Cardiff said they had been living near the “nice” family for more than 25 years.
Kanaya Singh, Labour councillor for Riverside, said he hoped the police would get to bottom of what happened as quickly as possible.
He told the newspaper: "Clearly this is a worrying and tragic event. Everyone I have spoken to in the community speaks very highly of the family and our thoughts are with them.
"There is also a great deal of concern because many people from Riverside go to Bangladesh on a regular basis.”
An FCDO spokesperson said: “We are providing consular assistance to a British family following an incident in Bangladesh and are in contact with the local authorities.”
The Independent has contacted Bangladesh Police for comment.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments