Rome police hunt killer of 3 Bangladeshi expats
Three members of a family of Bangladeshi origin were stabbed to death late on Friday night in their home in the Casalotti district on the western outskirts of Rome
ATT Desk Report 
Italian police have identified the prime suspect in the killing of a father, mother and their young daughter in Rome.
Three members of a family of Bangladeshi origin were stabbed to death late on Friday night in their home in the Casalotti district on the western outskirts of Rome.
The victims were named as Kamal Uddin, 39, his wife Hosne Jahan Momotaj, 38, and their eight-year-old daughter Arowa.
The couple's 20-year-old son survived the attack but was taken to Rome's Gemelli hospital in a serious but not life-threatening condition.
What happened
Neighbours raised the alarm after hearing screams coming from the first-floor apartment on Via Montiglio.
Police quickly arrived at the scene where the surviving son was found at the entrance of the building and rushed to hospital. Once his condition permits, he will be interviewed by investigators.
Officers seized a cleaver - believed to be the murder weapon - which the attacker had left behind inside the flat. A bloodied sweatshirt was also found in a car park a short distance away and has been sent for forensic analysis.
Prime suspect
Investigators quickly focused on the family's social circle. As the hours passed, a motive linked to harassment emerged.
The prime suspect is a 43-year-old Bangladeshi national identified as Shahadat Hossain, who had been known to the family.
Police released his photograph and personal details, urging the public to come forward with any information, as prosecutors opened proceedings for murder and grievous bodily harm.
Local residents described the family as warmly regarded in the neighbourhood where Kamal Uddin had lived for the last 15 years before being joined in Italy recently by his wife and young daughter.
Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri issued a statement describing the killings as 'a tragedy of unheard-of gravity, difficult even to imagine, which has shaken the community of Casalotti'.
He extended his condolences to the family's relatives and friends, with particular thoughts for the young survivor, and called on investigators to bring the perpetrator swiftly to justice.
At the time of writing, early on Sunday morning, the murder suspect remained at large.
Police release photo of wanted man
The Mobile Squad is investigating the case. Detectives are scrutinising the family’s circle of acquaintances. As ordered by the Rome Public Prosecutor’s Office, a photograph of the alleged perpetrator, identified as Shahadat Hossain, born in Bangladesh on 10 May 1983, has been released to the press and published on the State Police’s social media channels.
Anyone with information that could help track down the alleged perpetrator should contact the Mobile Squad on 3346903295. The photograph of the man wanted in connection with the triple murder in Rome has been circulated not only to the press and on the police’s social media channels, but also via the State Police’s WhatsApp channels. Around forty tips have been received in less than 48 hours.
Checkpoints in the city
In the meantime, therefore, the hunt is on for Shahadat Hossain. His network of contacts and the places he usually frequented are under scrutiny, but that is not all. Checkpoints have been set up across the city – with police, Carabinieri and other law enforcement agencies, photos in hand, carefully checking whether anyone matches his description – and checks are also being carried out at railway stations, at bus terminals for services heading abroad, at airports and right up to the borders.
Searches are also being carried out in isolated locations, such as abandoned farmhouses on the outskirts of the capital, where he may have been hiding to plan his escape. The last mobile phone cell his phone connected to is believed to date back to the night between Friday and Saturday, in an area not far from the Casalotti neighbourhood, the scene of the triple murder. At present, no possibility is being ruled out, including that of a possible act of desperation.
The investigation is being led by officers from the Mobile Squad, coordinated by the Rome Public Prosecutor’s Office, which has in the last few hours opened an investigation into murder and grievous bodily harm.
Public Prosecutor’s Office launches investigation
Following the crime, the Rome Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation into murder and grievous bodily harm. Yesterday, the duty prosecutor carried out an inspection of the building on Via Montiglio, and a post-mortem examination of the bodies will be ordered in the coming hours.
A cleaver, believed to be the weapon used to carry out the massacre, was seized from the flat. Deputy Public Prosecutor Giuseppe Cascini is coordinating the investigation, which has been entrusted to detectives from the Mobile Squad who are working to identify the perpetrator of the triple murder.
‘Die with your loved ones’ – alleged killer’s final post before the massacre
“A man does not die alone” and “you should die with your loved ones when you die. So that no one has to suffer for anyone else”. This is what can be read in the latest post published on Facebook by the alleged perpetrator of the triple murder in the Casalotti area of Rome.
Shahadat Hossain posted this on 25 June at 9.33 pm, around 24 hours before the massacre. Following the killings, one user replied to these words: “You are a bad person. You are a Pharaoh”.
