Rangpur Correspondent:

The funeral rites for retired Rangpur Zilla School teacher Ganapati Chakraborty, his wife and their two children were completed at around 10:30 pm yesterday, Sunday, at Kamal Kachhna Dakhiganj Mohashashan in Rangpur city.

Earlier, at around 7 pm yesterday, Sunday police handed over the bodies of the four victims to their family members after completing the post-mortem examinations at Rangpur Medical College Hospital.

The bodies were then taken to the Mohashashan by ambulance in two trips. In accordance with Hindu religious rituals, the family placed the four bodies on four pyres side by side. The cremation ceremony ended at around 10:30 pm.

Witnesses said the scene became heartbreaking when the four bodies were placed on the pyres. Relatives wept, while even acquaintances outside the family struggled to hold back their tears.

Biswajit Chakraborty, son-in-law of the deceased teacher’s elder brother, took part in the cremation.

He said, “I have witnessed many funerals in my life. The painful sight of bidding farewell to four people at the same time will remain in my memory until the last day of my life.”

Puja Chakraborty, sister-in-law of the deceased teacher, broke down in tears while performing the last rites of her sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew.

She said, “God will judge those who killed them. I want them to receive severe punishment.” After pausing for a moment, she said, “They were supposed to be alive today. They all departed together!”

At around 3:30 am on Saturday, police recovered the bodies of Ganapati Chakraborty, his wife Pritilata Chakraborty, their daughter Agami Chakraborty, who had completed a Master’s degree in English, and their son Ayush Chakraborty, a fifth-grade student, from their home in Machuapara, in the Kamal Kachna area of Rangpur city.

Police alleged that the victims were strangled one after another after they protested against the use of yaba.

In connection with the incident, two young men, Siddhartha Das and Mugdha Das, were arrested and sent to jail. Both are residents of Machuapara.