A seven-year-old girl, who was found with her throat slit in a remote hilly area of Sitakunda, has died while undergoing treatment at Chattogram Medical College Hospital, two days after she was rescued.
The child, Jannatul Naeema Ira, passed away around 5:30pm Monday, family members confirmed. Her uncle said doctors tried their best to save her, but she succumbed to her injuries.
According to the family, the girl had left home around 9am on the day of the incident to play outside, despite her mother asking her not to go. When she did not return, the family began searching for her.
Police and local sources said that around 10am on Sunday, road construction workers discovered the child lying beside a hilly path approximately 500 metres north of the Sahasradhara waterfall inside the Botanical Garden and Eco Park in Sitakunda — about 15 kilometres from her home. She had sustained severe knife injuries to her throat and was bleeding profusely.
Workers reportedly used pieces of their clothing to wrap around her neck in an attempt to stop the bleeding before rushing her to Sitakunda Upazila Health Complex. She was later transferred to Chattogram Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.
Family members alleged that the child was sexually assaulted before her airway was cut. Doctors said her windpipe had been severed, leaving her unable to speak.
Despite undergoing emergency surgery on Sunday night and being placed under intensive care, including treatment at the hospital’s One-Stop Crisis Cell (OCC), she could not be saved.
Relatives said that the girl’s parents have been repeatedly collapsing in grief since learning of her death. Her body has been kept at the hospital morgue, and burial preparations will proceed following completion of legal formalities and an autopsy.
On Sunday night, the victim’s mother, Rokeya Begum, filed a case with Sitakunda Police Station against unidentified individuals under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act and relevant sections of the Penal Code, including charges of abduction and attempted murder. Police said that the case will now be converted into a murder case following the child’s death.
Chattogram district Additional Superintendent of Police (Media) Russell said that the main suspect, identified as Babu Sheikh, has been arrested. A press briefing was scheduled for later in the evening to provide further details.
Local residents said the hilly path where the girl was found is relatively isolated and lacks regular patrol or security measures, raising concerns about safety in the area.
The child’s family described her as lively and cheerful. “Was my daughter not a citizen of this country? Where was her security?” her mother asked in anguish.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage on social media, with many calling for a swift and impartial investigation and exemplary punishment for those responsible.
Law enforcement officials said multiple investigation teams have been formed. Evidence has been collected from the scene and surrounding areas, and technical data is being analysed. Witnesses are being questioned, police said, adding that those responsible will be identified and brought to justice as soon as possible.
