The body of the prime accused in the high-profile Gazipur five-murder case has been recovered from the Padma River in Louhajang upazila of Munshiganj on Saturday.

The deceased, Forkan Molla, 40, was accused of killing his wife, three children, and brother-in-law at Kapasia upazila in Gazipur district.

Munshiganj Fire Service Deputy Assistant Director Muhammad Shafiqul Islam and Mawa Naval Police outpost in-charge Md Elias confirmed the matter.

Fire Service officials said locals first spotted a floating body near the area adjacent to the Louhajang Upazila Land Office, around four kilometres from the Padma Bridge, and informed authorities. Later, with assistance from the Fire Service, Naval Police recovered the body around 2:30pm.

Munshiganj Fire Service Deputy Assistant Director Muhammad Shafiqul Islam said the Fire Service had been informed through an official government letter regarding Forkan Molla’s disappearance after reports that he may have jumped from the Padma Bridge.

He said, “Following instructions, we took the matter seriously and conducted a search operation across the river.”

Mawa Naval Police outpost in-charge Md Elias said the body was recovered after locals alerted authorities.

He added that the body was later sent to Gazipur, where it was initially identified by the case complainant, the suspect’s family members and the investigation officer as Forkan Molla.

The body had been in water for several days and was in a decomposed state, he said, adding that they are attempting to confirm the identity through fingerprint analysis.

If that is not possible, DNA testing will be carried out for confirmation, he added.

Gazipur police earlier said CCTV footage from the Padma Bridge showed a man exiting a private car, placing his mobile phone on the footpath, waiting briefly, and then jumping into the river.

Investigators also said a mobile phone recovered from a bus helper in Meherpur was later confirmed to belong to Forkan Molla.

Police had launched multiple operations following the May 9 killings to arrest the suspect, including searches in Gopalganj and border areas.

On May 9, police recovered the bodies of five members of a family from a residence in Rautkona village of Kapasia upazila in Gazipur.

The victims were Forkan’s wife Sharmin Khanam, 30, their three children Meem Khanam, 15, Umme Habiba, 8, Faria, 1.5, and Sharmin’s younger brother Rasul Molla, 23.

Forkan Molla had been absconding since the incident and was the prime accused in the case.