Police have yet to determine the motive behind the killing of a mother and her daughter at a flat on Shahjahan Road in the capital’s Mohammadpur area on Monday morning.

Although wardrobes and a vanity bag inside the flat were found ransacked, police said no significant valuables were missing.

The victims were identified as Malaila Afroze, 48, and her daughter Nafisa Binte Aziz, 15, a ninth-grade student of Mohammadpur Preparatory School. The incident took place at 7/B flat on the seventh floor of a building at 32/2/A Shahjahan Road.

Police suspected that the killings were carried out by the household help, who fled the scene wearing Nafisa’s school uniform, carrying a school bag.

Police quoting inmates of the flat said the household help had joined the family only four days earlier, introducing herself as Ayesha.

Nafisa’s father, M Z Azizul Islam, is a teacher by profession and teaches physics at Sunbeams School in Uttara. Citing him, police said he left the house around 7am for school on Monday.

Shortly after, the household help, wearing a burqa, was seen taking the lift to the seventh floor. At around 9:35am, she left the building wearing Nafisa’s school dress, a face mask and carrying a bag. Around 11:30am, Nafisa’s father returned home and found his wife and daughter lying in blood.

Nafisa’s father told police that he had learned from his wife that her (housemaid) name was Ayesha, aged around 20. She claimed to be from Rangpur and said she lived with her uncle and aunt at Geneva Camp.

Assistant Commissioner (Mohammadpur Zone) under Tejgaon division of DMP Abdullah Al Mamun said that although household items were found scattered, no valuable belongings were missing except for a mobile phone, which is currently switched off.

He added that the suspect 'housemaid' fled the scene wearing the Nafisa'’s school uniform. “We have not yet been able to confirm the motive behind the killings,” he said.

Tejgaon Division Deputy Commissioner Ibn Mizan said police received the information around 11:30am. Nafisa was taken to hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

After completing inquests, police sent both bodies to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital for autopsy. The bodies were later handed over to the family following the post-mortem examinations.

A police officer of Tejgaon Division, speaking on condition of anonymity, said investigators have received some preliminary information and are currently verifying those details.