A seven-year-old child who went missing while playing outside his home in Dhaka has been rescued from Shariatpur, police said. A 22-year-old woman, identified as Juthi Akter, has been arrested in connection with the alleged abduction.
The child was rescued during an operation in the Padma Bridge South police station area of Shariatpur at around 3.30pm on Saturday, 5 September. Juthi Akter was arrested during the same operation, according to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
The development was confirmed by Aktar Hossain, deputy commissioner of the DMP’s media division.
According to police, the child went missing on Thursday afternoon, 3 September, after leaving his home to play in the Purba Shewrapara area under Kafrul police station in the capital. When he failed to return home, family members began searching for him in nearby areas. Despite efforts to locate him, they could not find the child and subsequently filed a general diary at Kafrul police station.
Police then began examining available closed-circuit television footage from the area as part of the investigation. Footage reportedly showed a woman dressed in black holding the child by the hand and taking him away. The footage provided investigators with a key lead as they attempted to establish the child’s whereabouts.
Using the CCTV footage alongside intelligence gathered during the investigation, police traced the child to Shariatpur. Officers subsequently conducted an operation in the Padma Bridge South police station area and rescued him. Juthi Akter was also arrested at the scene, police said.
After being rescued, the child was given initial medical attention before being handed back to his parents. Police said the child is now in the care of his family.
A case has been filed at Kafrul police station under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act in connection with the incident. The arrested woman is being processed for production before a court, police said.
Investigators are expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the child’s removal from Dhaka, including how he was taken to Shariatpur and whether anyone else was involved. Police have not disclosed further details about the alleged motive or the circumstances in which the child was found.
The case also highlights the role of prompt reporting and surveillance footage in tracing missing children. In this instance, the family’s general diary and subsequent examination of CCTV footage helped police establish a lead and locate the child outside the capital.
The investigation remains ongoing, and further details are expected to emerge as police question the arrested woman and examine other aspects of the case.
