13-year-old found dead 18 hours after going missing in Narayanganj

Thirteen-year-old Aklima was found dead 18 hours after going missing in Narayanganj.

Her body was recovered around 8am yesterday (22 December) in the Dori Sonakanda area of Ward No 20 under Narayanganj City Corporation.

Aklima, daughter of Md Ali of the Sonakanda area, was a fifth-grade student of Dori Sonakanda Government Primary School. 

According to family members, Aklima had been missing since Sunday afternoon. Despite searching several possible locations, her family could not trace her whereabouts.

Yesterday morning, local residents spotted the body of a teenage girl lying in the Dori Sonakanda area and informed police. Law enforcers later arrived at the scene and recovered the body.

Confirming the incident, Golam Muktar Ashraf, officer-in-charge (OC) of Bandar Police Station, said, "There are some scratch marks on her face. The body was sent to the morgue of Narayanganj Victoria General Hospital for autopsy.

"An investigation is underway to determine the actual cause of death."

According to a report by The Daily Star, the OC said initial signs pointed to a brutal crime.

"Based on injuries to the child's face and other signs, we initially suspect that she was sexually assaulted before being killed," he said.

Following the autopsy at Narayanganj General Hospital, Resident Medical Officer Dr Zahirul Islam provided further details.

He said, "We found injury marks on the child's cheeks and neck, which appear to be caused by human fingernails. We have collected samples to determine whether the child was raped."

Local residents blamed the rampant movement of drug dealers and addicts in the area for such incidents.