Woman wounds 5 girls in knife attack on Gaibandha school

The woman's family claim she is mentally unstable, police say

A woman wielding a knife has stabbed and injured five girls in an attack on a school in Gaibandha’s Sadullapur Upazila.

The incident took place at around 10:30am on Tuesday at Jamalpur Girls' High School, according to Md Shafiqul Islam, chief of Sadullapur Police Station.

The injured students have been identified as sixth graders Setu Khatun, 13, Mitu Khatun, 14, and Rabeya Khatun, 13, Sumona and Taposi, whose full names and ages were not available.

The first three were admitted to the Upazila Health Complex while Sumona and Taposi were given first-aid.

The arrestee is Jannati Akter, 21, wife of Ashik Miah from Jamalpur union of the Upazila.

Injured Setu said that just before the class started, a woman in burqa suddenly entered their classroom and tried to stab her in the abdomen before she could understand anything.

The girl managed to grab the knife, resulting in a cut on her left hand. The woman then went on to stab four other students randomly, Setu added.

“The woman then stabbed me in the back,” said Mitu, another victim.

Rabeya said she was stabbed in both legs and her head by the woman.

Assistant Teacher Khondokar Abdulla Hel Al Mamun said that the teachers and staffers rushed to the classroom for grade six students upon hearing a commotion.

They saw students running away in panic, with four or five of them bleeding.

"Later, we entered the classroom and saw that woman. Then we apprehended her and informed the police."

Shahinul Islam Mondal, a doctor at the Upazila Health Complex, said that the three injured students were now out of danger but are “extremely traumatised”.

OC Shafiqul stated that the woman had been taken into custody, and a locally made sharp knife was recovered from her. Legal proceedings were underway.

During interrogation, the woman gave inconsistent statements, but her family claimed she is mentally unstable, according to Shafiqul.