Six teenagers murdered an 11-year-old child out of sheer curiosity about what jail feels like, police said on Monday, revealing a chilling motive behind a killing that has sent shockwaves through the district.
The victim, Hossain, used to sell flowers in the city with his father. He had been missing since the morning of 18 April.
His body was recovered on 23 April from an abandoned house in the Mithumiya area of Dapa Idrakpur Bank Colony in Fatullah, Narayanganj.
How the murder unfolded
Narayanganj District Superintendent of Police Md Mizanur Rahman Munsi unveiled the mystery at a press conference on Monday.
According to police, the teenagers — Saiful, Tanvir and Yunus — discussed among themselves that killing someone would send them to jail. Driven by a desire to experience imprisonment, they hatched the murder plan.
They spotted Hossain walking by, lured him with the promise of cannabis, and took him to a predetermined spot near Fatullah Railway Station where they regularly gathered and used drugs.
Three other friends — Rahat, Hossain and Omar — were already waiting there. Together, they stabbed the child to death and fled, leaving the body in the abandoned house.
Arrests and confession
Police launched an operation immediately after the body was recovered and first arrested Yasin. Based on information he provided, five other teenagers were subsequently taken into custody.
A total of six have been arrested in the case. Four of them are named in the First Information Report, while two were identified during the investigation.
Yasin, named as accused number one, has given a confessional statement under Section 164. The sharp knife used in the murder has also been recovered, police said.
One suspect remains at large, according to police.
