An atmosphere of profound anxiety has gripped a family in the capital’s Khilkhet area following the mysterious disappearance of a 12-year-old boy. The child left his home after a minor domestic dispute, but the situation took a chilling turn when an anonymous caller contacted the distraught relatives, claiming to hold the boy captive and subjecting him to physical abuse. Law enforcement agencies, including the police and elite security units, have launched frantic efforts to locate him.
The missing boy, Md Habibullah Naim, walked out of his rented home located on Kurmitola School Road under Ward 17 of Khilkhet at around 5:15 PM last Thursday. Originally hailing from Hazna Natore village in the Naldanga upazila of Natore district, the family resides in Dhaka where Naim’s parents, Md Babul Islam and Mst Sharifa Khatun, struggle to make ends meet.
According to Naim’s uncle, Golam Hussain, the trouble began on Thursday afternoon when Naim got into an argument with his six-year-old younger brother, Adil. Following a reprimand from his mother over the altercation, a frustrated and angry Naim stormed out of the house. Panic set in when hours passed without any sign of him. Relatives scoured nearby neighbourhoods, checked with extended family members, and attempted to reach him on his mobile phone, only to find it switched off.
Faced with a blank wall, the boy’s mother formally lodged a general diary at the local Khilkhet police station. In addition to the police complaint, formal appeals for assistance were submitted to the Detective Branch and the Rapid Action Battalion to expedite rescue efforts.
The anxiety transformed into sheer terror early Friday morning. At approximately 2:30 AM, an unidentified individual called the family from an unlisted number. The caller claimed that Naim was in their custody, amidst the faint sounds of the child crying in the background. The caller alleged that Naim was locked inside a bathroom and being physically tortured, vaguely mentioning a location near the “Haji Bari Camp area” before abruptly disconnecting the line. Subsequent attempts by the family to redial the number proved futile, as it remained unreachable.
Local authorities have treated the matter with utmost urgency. Md Sohrab Al Hossain, the officer-in-charge of Khilkhet Police Station, confirmed that a formal entry has been recorded and that detective units are actively working to trace the call, identify the perpetrators, and safely rescue the child.
