A seven-year-old boy was killed in Nandail upazila of Mymensingh on Thursday morning, with a 14-year-old teenager detained by police in connection with the incident.
The incident took place in Charbhetagai Union’s Char Bhelamari village in the upazila on 17 September.
The deceased was identified as Rajon, son of Mofazzal Hossain of the village. The teenager detained in connection with the killing was identified as Tahsin Hridoy, 14, son of Abu Bakkar Siddiq, who lives in the same area.
According to local residents and police, Rajon was alone near his home on Thursday morning when Hridoy allegedly approached him and offered to pick olives from a tree. The teenager then allegedly took the child to his own room.
Police said that, according to the preliminary account, an attempt was made to sexually assault the child inside the room. When Rajon cried out for help, Hridoy allegedly attacked him repeatedly with a spade, striking his neck and back. The child died at the scene from the injuries, according to the account provided to police.
The body was allegedly taken to a toilet behind the room and left there.
Rajon’s family began searching for him after he remained missing for some time. During the search, local residents reportedly became suspicious of Hridoy’s behaviour and questioned him about the child’s whereabouts. He initially denied involvement, but later allegedly disclosed what had happened and where the body had been left.
The situation then became tense, with local people reportedly assaulting the teenager before handing him over to police.
Police arrived at the scene, brought the situation under control and took Hridoy into custody from the local residents. Officers subsequently recovered Rajon’s bloodied body from the toilet and sent it to a hospital mortuary for a post-mortem examination.
Nandail Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Azharul Islam confirmed that police had detained the teenager following the incident. He said Hridoy had admitted to killing the child during preliminary questioning.
The officer added that the family of the deceased was in the process of filing a murder case. Police are expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the death as part of the investigation, including the events leading up to the attack and the allegations of attempted sexual assault.
As the accused is 14, any legal proceedings against him will have to take account of his age and the applicable provisions governing children in conflict with the law. The post-mortem examination and subsequent investigation are expected to provide further evidence about the cause and circumstances of Rajon’s death.
The killing has caused shock in the village, where the victim and the detained teenager lived in the same locality. Police have also taken steps to prevent further unrest following the reported assault of the teenager by members of the public.
