British father and son found dead after ‘suspected poisoning’ in Bangladesh

Mother and two other children in hospital after family of five found unconscious inside rental property

Police in Bangladesh are investigating the deaths (Getty Images)

A British father and his teenage son have died and the rest of their family are in hospital as Bangladeshi police probe whether they were poisoned.

Police found the family of five unconscious at a rented flat in the eastern city of Sylhet on Tuesday afternoon.

It is understood the father, in his 50s, died alongside his 16 year-old son.

The man’s wife, his daughter and a second son are said to be undergoing treatment at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College and Hospital (SOMCH).

The family, who are reportedly from the Riverside area of Cardiff, were said to have been on a visit to the country when the incident happened.

Sylhet district superintendent of police Farid Uddin told WalesOnline the incident was believed to be a case of poisoning but that an investigation was still ongoing.

He said: “After discussing the overall situation with the doctors and inspecting the scene we believe this may have been a case of poisoning.

“The investigation is ongoing into whether it is poisoning or something else.”

He also confirmed close relatives of the family lived in the same building, adding: “At the moment we believe they fell asleep after dinner last night.

“This must be investigated further. How were they poisoned? How did they die? We will be able to confirm after an investigation.”

The family is understood to have slept in the same room after eating dinner on Monday evening.

Relatives raised the alarm after trying unsuccessfully to open the door to the flat at about 10am on Tuesday.

One neighbour in Cardiff said they had been living near the “nice” family for more than 25 years.

Kanaya Singh, Labour councillor for Riverside, said he hoped the police would get to bottom of what happened as quickly as possible.

He told the newspaper: "Clearly this is a worrying and tragic event. Everyone I have spoken to in the community speaks very highly of the family and our thoughts are with them.

"There is also a great deal of concern because many people from Riverside go to Bangladesh on a regular basis.”

An FCDO spokesperson said: “We are providing consular assistance to a British family following an incident in Bangladesh and are in contact with the local authorities.”

The Independent has contacted Bangladesh Police for comment.