Magura child rape: Survivor's life in danger after 4 cardiac arrests, army seeks prayers

The life of the eight-year-old rape survivor from Magura is in danger, with the child suffering four cardiac arrests on Wednesday (12 March), the Bangladesh Army said in a Facebook post near midnight while seeking prayers for her. 

The child is currently under treatment at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of the Children's Department of the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka.

"Necessary tests are being done every day as per the standard ICU protocol and the highest medical care is being provided accordingly," the Bangladesh Army said in the Facebook post.

"The child suffered cardiac arrest four times today and was stabilised by providing CPR. She is undergoing dialysis due to a salt imbalance in her blood.

"Along with other complications, the child's blood pressure is 60/40 which is further decreasing," the post further reads.

A high-level medical board consisting of expert doctors of the CMH is making every effort to save the child's life through the most modern medical methods, it adds.

She was admitted to the hospital in critical condition at 6 pm on 8 March 2025.

"The Bangladesh Army seeks prayers from the countrymen for the child's recovery," concludes the Facebook post.

Earlier on the day the Prothom Alo, quoting a member of the medical board overseeing her treatment at CMH, reported that the child's condition has worsened. "She is now in the most critical phase. Around 8am today, she suffered her first cardiac arrest, but we managed to revive her. Later, she went into cardiac arrest again, and once more, she was revived. However, her brain remained unresponsive, with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 3."

The GCS measures a person's level of consciousness, with a normal score being 15. A score of 3 indicates a lack of brain response.

The doctor further explained, "When she was strangled during the assault, her brain was deprived of oxygen. She remained in that state until she was brought to the hospital at 11am the next day."

"The prolonged lack of oxygen has caused significant brain damage. Had she been provided oxygen immediately after the incident, the extent of the damage could have been reduced," the doctor added. 

The eight-year-old child was raped by her sister's father-in-law, who was allegedly helped by his son last Wednesday night (5 March).

On Thursday morning (6 March), the child was taken to Magura's 250-bed hospital in an unconscious state.

Later that day, she was transferred to Faridpur Medical College Hospital and then to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) on Thursday night. 

By Friday night (7 March), she was placed on life support.

On Saturday evening (8 March), the critically ill child was moved from DMCH's PICU to CMH for advanced care. 

A medical board, led by CMH's chief surgeon and comprising eight specialists, including experts in surgery, gynaecology, plastic surgery, paediatric neurology, anaesthesia, paediatric cardiology, and thoracic surgery, has been formed for her treatment.

The child's mother filed a case accusing four individuals, including the victim's sister's father-in-law Hitu Sheikh, 42, — while the other three accused, including her sister's husband Sajib Sheikh, 18, mother-in-law Jaheda Khatun, 45, and brother-in-law Ratul Sheikh, 20.

The accused have been arrested and are currently on remand.

Meanwhile, DNA samples have been collected from three of the male accused for forensic testing. 

Yesterday (11 March), they were brought from Magura to the Criminal Investigation Department's (CID) DNA profiling lab in Dhaka, where the victim's DNA samples were also submitted.

Confirming the development, Magura Additional Superintendent of Police Md Mirajul Islam told Prothom Alo, "The three accused have been sent back to Magura district jail."

In the wake of this case, reports of rape and attempted rape have surfaced nationwide, including attacks on women, teenagers, and children.