Teen mother 'attempts suicide' after 'killing' baby in Gopalganj's Tungipara

She has been detained after allegedly tossing her infant daughter into a waterbody before jumping into it herself

A teenage mother has been detained after allegedly killing her 10-day-old daughter before attempting to take her own life in Gopalganj's Tungipara.

The incident took place around 8:30pm on Thursday in the Eidgaon Kheyaghat Baor area of Madhyapara, according to Tungipara Police Station OC Jahidul Islam Jahangir said.

The newborn was the child of Tapas Mondal from Gopalpur Paschimpara village.

Police have sent her body to the Gopalganj General Hospital morgue for post-mortem. Her 17-year-old mother has been taken into police custody for questioning.

"On Thursday evening, the teenager left her in-laws' house in Gopalpur’s Paschimpara carrying her newborn daughter. Later, she went to the Madhyapara Eidgaon jetty area riding a battery-powered van," Jahangir said, citing witnesses.

“There, she killed her child by throwing her into the Borni Baor (a marsh). Then, she jumped into the waterbody to kill herself."

Fishermen nearby rescued the teenager as she struggled in the water. She reportedly confessed to them that she had thrown her child into the lake before trying to end her own life.

Police recovered the child's body after locals informed them about the incident, Jahangir said.

“It's not immediately clear why the teenager acted in this way. We can provide more details after questioning her.”

Police are preparing to file a murder case over the incident.