MYMENSINGH — Police in Phulpur, Mymensingh, have recovered the partially decomposed body of a 17-year-old youth from a shallow grave, twenty-eight days after he vanished from his home.

The victim, identified as Rashedul Islam, was a local brick kiln labourer and the son of Shahjahan Miah, a resident of Krishnamaheshpatti village. According to family members, Rashedul left his residence on the evening of 10 August and failed to return. Following his sudden disappearance, his anxious relatives lodged a general diary (GD) with the local police station to initiate an official search.

The case took a sinister turn the day after he went missing, when the victim’s family received telephone calls demanding a ransom for his safe return. Acting on the formal police entry, investigators tracked mobile operational data and digital leads, ultimately pinpointing and arresting Md Jasim Miah in the Shyamganj area of neighbouring Netrokona district.

Interrogation yielded a breakthrough. Under questioning, Jasim admitted his involvement and disclosed the exact location where the young labourer’s body had been concealed. Guided by his testimony, a police contingent raided an isolated site known locally as ‘Garor Bhita’ in Chandrapur village, situated within the Bowla Union of Phulpur sub-district, on Sunday, 6 September. Upon excavating the soil, officers unearthed the teenager’s severely decomposed remains, which had degraded significantly after nearly a month underground.

In addition to Jasim Miah, law enforcement personnel have detained two other suspects: Mozzammel Hossain and Rafiq Miah, both residents of Kokail village in Shyamganj. Authorities are currently examining their exact involvement in the abduction, the extortion attempts, and the subsequent homicide.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Phulpur Police Station, Md Firoz Hossain, confirmed the three arrests and noted that legal proceedings are underway. He stated that the suspects will be produced before the court following the completion of preliminary formal procedures.

The tragic discovery has sent shockwaves through the quiet rural community, ending weeks of agonising anticipation for Rashedul’s family. Police investigations remain active to establish the primary motive behind the murder, determine whether the ransom demand was a cover, and verify if further accomplices were involved in the crime.