Kaliganj: A four-year-old girl, Tabassum, was allegedly raped and suffocated to death in Kaliganj, Jhenaidah. Authorities confirmed that the prime suspect, Abu Taher, has confessed to the crime following his arrest.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Mahfuzur Rahman, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) of Jhenaidah Sadar Circle, stated that Abu Taher was apprehended around midnight on Thursday from his brother’s rented flat in Kushtia city. Taher, a resident of Farashpur village in Kaliganj and son of the late Shafi Uddin, admitted to both the rape and murder of Tabassum.
The incident sparked outrage among local residents, leading to protests and demands for justice. Hundreds gathered in demonstrations, including human chains, calling for the death penalty for Abu Taher after Jumma prayers at Barobazar on Friday afternoon.
OC of Kaliganj Police Station, Jellal Hossain, revealed that Taher worked as a sales representative for a cigarette company and was reportedly addicted to drugs. He rented a house near Tabassum’s family home in Badedihi village. On the day of the incident, he allegedly lured the child into his home with chips and juice.
OC Hossain further explained that Taher subjected Tabassum to a brutal physical assault. When she cried, he reportedly covered her mouth with a lungi, causing her to suffocate. He subsequently placed her body in a sack and hid it in the septic tank of Abdul Jabbar Secondary School nearby.
Tabassum’s body was discovered on Thursday morning in the school’s septic tank. She had been reported missing around 2:00 pm on Wednesday.
The victim’s family resided in a rented house in the Badedihi, Barobazar area. Her father, Nazrul Islam, is employed at a local tailor shop, while her mother, Halima Khatun, works with a private development organization, Web Foundation.