Walking Pattern in CCTV Footage Helps Police Solve Bangladesh Murder Case

Police in Bangladesh have solved a murder and robbery case in the capital Dhaka by using an unusual investigative clue — the suspect’s walking pattern captured in CCTV footage where her face was not clearly visible.

Investigators said the breakthrough came after years of tracking a woman who allegedly worked under multiple fake identities while committing crimes inside residential houses.

The victim, 62-year-old Ayesha Akhtar, died after being administered a sedative by a domestic worker who later stole gold jewellery and cash from her home in Dhaka’s Uttara area.

Police Initially Faced Investigation Challenges

Law enforcement officials said the case was difficult to solve at the beginning as the domestic helper used a false identity and provided no reliable contact information when joining the household.

The CCTV camera installed inside the house was reportedly not functioning. Another camera installed in a neighbouring building captured the suspect entering and leaving the residence, but her face was not clearly identifiable.

A detective from the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) said the breakthrough came after he noticed a distinctive walking style in the footage.

The officer recalled that the movement resembled that of a woman he had arrested in a previous theft case. He later compared the footage with archived investigation files and photographs stored in digital records to confirm the suspicion.

Suspect Had Long History of Similar Crimes

Police identified the suspect as Bilkis Begum, a 43-year-old woman who allegedly worked in different homes under various fake names.

Authorities said she would take jobs as a domestic worker using fabricated identities and would mix sedatives into food or drinks of household members before stealing valuables and escaping.

Investigators believe she had been involved in similar crimes in and around Dhaka for nearly a decade. The suspect reportedly avoided detection by refusing to provide photographs, national identity documents, or phone numbers when accepting employment.

Police said at least five cases were found against her under different aliases across several police stations in the capital and surrounding areas.

Earlier Arrest and Continued Criminal Activity

Officials said the suspect was previously arrested in 2023 in connection with a theft case in Dhaka’s Hatirjheel area. She spent about one and a half months in jail before being released.

After release, she allegedly resumed similar criminal activities, continuing the same modus operandi of using sedatives to incapacitate victims before robbery.

Details of the Uttara Murder

The victim’s family hired the domestic worker on February 14, who introduced herself as “Momtaz” to the caretaker of the building while using the name “Marufa” among household members.

The worker promised to submit her national identity documents later but never provided them.

On February 18, family members found Ayesha Akhtar and her 68-year-old husband, Mohammad Anwar Hossain, unconscious inside their residence in Dhaka’s Uttara sector 7.

The couple was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared Ayesha Akhtar dead. Her husband received medical treatment.

CCTV Footage Became Key Evidence

Police collected CCTV footage from a neighbouring building showing the suspect entering the house at around 8:56 a.m. and leaving around 2:30 p.m. on the same day.

Although the footage did not clearly reveal her face, the walking pattern helped investigators link the suspect to previous criminal records.

To verify the suspicion, the investigating officer retrieved archived documents from earlier theft cases and compared photographs stored in digital records.

Family members later confirmed that the woman in the photo was Bilkis Begum.