Published : 20 Sep 2026, 03:29 PM
Updated : 20 Sep 2026, 03:29 PM
A young man in Chattogram has allegedly attempted to sell his own 20-month-old daughter to get money for drugs.
Police later rescued the child after the mother called the national emergency hotline 999.
The incident occurred on Saturday night in the West Madarbari area under Sadarghat Police Station in the city.
Sadarghat Police Station chief Ekram Ullah told bdnews24.com that 20-month-old Fatema Akter was the only child of truck helper Lokman Hossain Sagar, 27, and domestic worker Sima Akter.
Sima, a resident of the Water Tank area of West Madarbari, alleged that her husband Sagar is addicted to drugs. On Saturday night, Sagar asked her for money to buy drugs. When she refused, he forcibly took their 20-month-old daughter from the house, saying he would sell the child.
The police officer said Sagar switched off his mobile phone after leaving the house. After Sima informed the national emergency service 999, police launched an operation. With the help of information technology, police traced his last known location to the Jugichand Mosque area. Around 11:30pm, they rescued the child and handed her over to her mother.
Officer Ekram Ullah said the house from which the child was rescued belonged to Sagar’s maternal cousin. Sagar had gone to his cousin and told him that he intended to sell his child.
The cousin then tactfully took the child from Sagar and kept her in his own custody.
Police said that although Sima made the allegation, she did not file a case against her husband after the child was rescued.
