Hill Voice, 9 September 2026, Narayanganj: The suspicious death of Riya Soren, 19, an Indigenous Santal woman, in Rupganj, Narayanganj, has raised concerns among her family and local residents, who are demanding a fair and impartial investigation.
Police recovered Riya’s body from a rented house in the Mangal Khali area of Murapara Union of Rupganj on the morning of 7 September. She was from Baghdabra village in Nawabganj upazila of Dinajpur and had reportedly been working at ACI Salt Limited in Rupganj for the past seven to eight months.
According to her relatives, Riya lived in a single-room rented house with a Muslim female co-worker. The co-worker had gone to her village a few days before the incident, leaving Riya alone in the house on the night of 6 September. She reportedly spoke to her mother, Ribika Murmu, by phone that night for the last time.
Questions have arisen over conflicting accounts surrounding her death. The landlord’s family initially reportedly said that Riya had died of a stroke, but later claimed that she had been found hanging and described the death as suicide.
Local residents, however, said they did not see her hanging from the ceiling fan. They reportedly found her lying on the bed after entering the room and said they noticed marks around her neck.
Riya’s relatives also alleged that the landlord, Tania Begum, had sought to keep Riya under her control and had expressed an intention to convert her to Islam and arrange her marriage to a Muslim man. They further said that Riya’s mobile phone has not been recovered.
Police recovered the body and sent it to the Narayanganj General Hospital morgue for autopsy. Police said the actual cause of death would be determined after receiving the autopsy report.
Riya’s family and local residents have expressed concern over the circumstances of her death and called for a thorough and impartial investigation. They urged the authorities to determine whether she was killed or died by suicide and to take legal action against anyone found responsible.