Uncle, 2 others arrested over child abduction in Chattogram

Uncle kept his niece confined at his rented house while joining family members in the search, police say

Police have rescued a 7-year-old girl who was abducted in Chattogram, saying she had been kidnapped by her uncle.

The girl's uncle, Md Faisal, allegedly kept her confined at his rented house while joining other family members in searching for the missing child to avoid suspicion, police said.

The child was rescued near Khetra Bazar of Sarafbhata in Rangunia Upazila on Tuesday night. Police also arrested three people, including Faisal.

The arrestees are Faisal, 32, Md Rakib, 22, and Jahangir Alam, 55.

Faisal is the maternal cousin of the victim's father.

Police said the child is a nursery student at West Sarafbhata Imam Azam Abu Hanifa (R) School in Rangunia.

According to investigators, Faisal took the girl away in a CNG-run autorickshaw on Monday while she was returning home from school, telling her that her father was ill.

He then kept her confined at his rented house in the Khetra Bazar area, said Mohammad Belayet Hossain, assistant superintendent of police (Rangunia Circle).

After failing to find his daughter, the child's father filed a case with South Rangunia Police Station. Police later launched an operation and rescued the girl.

Belayet told bdnews24.com that when the child did not return home on time, her father began searching for her. He later learned from one of her classmates that she had been taken away in an autorickshaw.

Following the case, a joint operation by South Rangunia Police Station and the Detective Branch (DB) led to the child's rescue later that night, the ASP said.

How The Child Was Rescued

Belayet said the autorickshaw used in the abduction belonged to Faisal. Investigators obtained CCTV footage from a nearby shop showing the girl being taken away in the vehicle.

"After verifying the ownership of the autorickshaw, we identified Faisal. We then arrested the driver, Rakib, and Jahangir, who had assisted in the abduction," he said.

The police officer said the child was familiar with Faisal because he frequently visited the family.

"She got into the autorickshaw without hesitation. Faisal then took her to his rented house in the Khetra Bazar area and kept her there. After arresting the three suspects at night, police rescued the child from Faisal's house."

Belayet said both the child's father and Faisal had previously worked abroad before returning to Bangladesh several years ago. Faisal maintained regular contact with the family.

"After the child went missing, Faisal joined the family in searching different places, accompanied the father to file the case at the police station, and even went to a shrine with the child's mother on Tuesday so that no one would suspect him."

Belayet said investigators were ultimately able to trace Faisal and rescue the child through the autorickshaw used in the abduction.