Police recovered the decomposed and mutilated body of an 11-year-old madrasa student, Arefin Akhtar, from a cotton factory warehouse in Hathazari Upazila on Saturday, two days after she went missing.
The body was discovered around 1:30 PM in a warehouse owned by Mujibuddowlah Chowdhury, located in the Ishaq Colony area of Aman Bazar, under Chikandandi Union.
Background of the Victim
Arefin was the daughter of Mohammad Rabiul Islam and Amena Begum, originally from Nangalkot, Cumilla. The family lived in a rented house in Ishaq Colony. Due to illness, Arefin’s father remained at home, while her mother worked as a labourer in a local yarn factory.
The Incident and Discovery
Arefin went missing from the colony last Thursday afternoon. After failing to find her, the family filed a General Diary (GD) with the Hathazari Model Police Station. On Saturday, residents followed a foul odour to the warehouse, where they discovered the body hidden under sacks.
Police subsequently recovered the body and sent it to the Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) morgue for an autopsy.
The Suspect
The victim’s mother, Amena Begum, has accused a fellow tenant, 19-year-old Md. Faisal, of luring her daughter away, raping her, and then murdering her. Faisal, a resident of Indurkani Upazila in Pirojpur, had been living in the colony for about a year with his pregnant wife.
Notably, Faisal reportedly assisted the family in searching for the girl after she went missing but fled the area immediately after the body was discovered.
Official Statements
Kazi Md. Tareq Aziz Additional Superintendent of Police (Hathazari Circle)
“Search operations were conducted in various locations using technology after she went missing. CCTV footage analysis shows a youth named Faisal leading the girl toward the cotton factory warehouse. The body was later recovered from that very location with a mutilated face.“
On the Cause of Death: “Primarily, it is suspected that the girl was raped and then murdered. However, the exact cause of death can only be confirmed once the autopsy report is received. Operations to arrest the accused are ongoing.”
The Family’s Plea
Amena Begum Victim’s Mother
“Faisal lured my daughter away and killed her after raping her. I demand exemplary punishment for the person who did this to my child.”
