7th grader killed, thrown into river: Four classmates arrested in Ctg

A seventh-grade student from Sanowara Islam Boys' High School in Chattogram's Chandgaon area was killed and his body dumped in the Karnaphuli River, allegedly by four of his classmates following a dispute, police said.

The victim, 12-year-old Rahat Khan, son of Liakat Ali from East Fariderpara, had left school around 11:30am yesterday (29 April) and never returned home.

His body was recovered from the river near the city's Hamidchar area yesterday morning.

Chandgaon Police Station Officer-in-Charge Aftab Uddin confirmed the arrest of four classmates in connection with the incident.

"The arrested boys have already confessed to the crime," he said.

The body has been sent to Chattogram Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examination, and a case is under process.

Rahat, who played for the Chattogram Brothers Union junior cricket team, was described by family members as the only able-bodied child in the family and the sole hope of his parents.

"We started searching when he did not arrive home by 2pm," said Rahat's cousin, Adnanul Alam. "Later, around 4pm, someone informed us that his school bag and clothes were found in the Hamidchar area."

Family members reviewed CCTV footage from the school, which showed Rahat leaving with 10–12 classmates, including one with whom he had a prior dispute about six months earlier.

When they visited the boy's home, he initially denied knowing anything, but changed his version of events after being shown the footage.

He claimed they had gone to Hamidchar to play cricket and then returned home, denying any knowledge of Rahat's whereabouts.

The boy was brought to Chandgaon Police Station, where he named three other classmates who were also present at the time. Police detained the others for questioning.

"Their statements were inconsistent and raised further suspicion," said Adnan.

"At one point, the boys claimed Rahat had slipped into the river and drowned. Two of them allegedly tried to help him, but were threatened by the one who had planned the attack," he added.

Police said the investigation is ongoing and more information will be revealed following the autopsy and further interrogation of the accused.

However, calling it a premeditated murder, Adnan said, "We believe Rahat was lured to the area and killed over the earlier dispute. We are filing a case and expect proper action from the police following an investigation."

The incident has provoked widespread outrage across Chattogram, especially on social media, where users expressed disbelief over the alleged involvement of schoolchildren in such a violent act. "How can a seventh grader be a cold-blooded murderer?" one user posted. "What really happened to this generation? Where is our society heading?" another wrote.