An official from the Department of Environment and his wife have died within a day of each other after suddenly falling ill at their home in the Dhaka's Mirpur.

The cause of their deaths remains unclear, with police awaiting their autopsy results for definitive answers.

Syed Nazmul Ahsan, director of the Department of Environment's Dhaka region, and his wife Nahid Binte Alam lived in the Mirpur-2 Government Officers Complex.

Upon falling ill on Wednesday, the couple was rushed to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College, where 55-year-old Nazmul was declared dead by the attending physician, according to Inspector SM Kamruzzaman of the Mirpur Police Station.

Nahid was later transferred to Bangabandhu Medical College Hospital, where the 45-year-old succumbed to her illness on Thursday.

Inspector Kamruzzaman noted that no visible injuries were found on their bodies and the cause of death would be confirmed after the post-mortem examination.

On how the police were alerted to the couple's deaths, Kamruzzaman said, "They died shortly after arriving at the hospital. Perhaps that's why the hospital authories contacted the police.

Asked why the admission tickets of the couple had "police case" inscribed on them, the inspector said, "It could point to poisoning, possibly from food or another source. We will know for sure once the post-mortem results are in."

Responding to a query, an official from the Department of Environment mentioned "cardiac arrest" as the cause of Nazmul's death but did not provide any details regarding his wife's demise.

Nazmul began his career at the Department of Environment in 1996 as a research officer and was promoted to director in 2017.

The couple leaves behind two daughters, with one currently preparing for her SSC exams.