Man arrested after confessing to killing 4-year-old following failed rape attempt
Her body was recovered from a ditch near her home.
Police yesterday (11 May) arrested a man in connection with the murder of a four-year-old girl after a failed attempt to rape her in Sylhet Sadar upazila.
The victim was a resident of Sonatola village under Kandigaon union in Sylhet Sadar upazila.
Her body was recovered from a ditch near her home on Friday (8 May), two days after she went missing.
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Jalalabad Police arrested Zakir, a neighbour and distant paternal uncle of the victim, from his residence last night.
Police said several pieces of evidence linked to the killing were recovered following Zakir's arrest.
According to investigators, Zakir allegedly took the child to his house while no one was there and attempted to rape her.
Police said the child later became unconscious, prompting the accused to panic and strangle her to death.
According to the suspect's statement, he initially hid the body in a suitcase in his room before later wrapping it in his wife's scarf and dumping it in a ditch in the Badaghat area after it began emitting an odour.
A video circulating on social media shows a man identifying himself as Zakir describing the incident. In the footage, he claims he was under the influence of drugs at the time of the crime.
However, police said they could not independently verify the authenticity or source of the video.
Following the arrest, hundreds of villagers surrounded the Jalalabad Police Station, demanding exemplary punishment for the accused. Later, an angry mob vandalised Zakir's house.
Officer-in-Charge of Jalalabad Police Station Mujahidul Islam said he was unaware of how the video was recorded or circulated.
Monjurul Alam, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) of Sylhet Metropolitan Police, confirmed the arrest and stated that police have recovered several pieces of evidence, including the scarf used to wrap the body.
"The primary accused has been taken into custody. We will provide further details during a press briefing later today," the official added.
A case has been filed by the victim's father, and legal proceedings against Zakir Hossain are currently underway.
