Child Atika Murder in Manikganj: Case Filed, Probe Underway

A case has been filed over the murder of eight-year-old Atika Akter in Manikganj Sadar upazila, with police arresting a juvenile identified as the prime accused in the incident.

On Saturday (18 April) afternoon, the victim’s mother, Arifa Akter, filed the case with Sadar Police Station as the complainant.

According to police, five individuals have been named as accused in the case. They are the main accused, a juvenile named Nayeem from Bonparil village of the upazila, his father Pannu Mia (45), uncle Fazlu Mia (30), brother Nazmul Hossain (24), and Md. Rony (22) from the same village.

Among them, the prime accused Nayeem was arrested late Friday night from the Nawabganj area of Dhaka. He is currently in police custody.

Police and local sources said that on Thursday (16 April) after 4:00 pm, Atika, the daughter of Saudi expatriate Dudul Mia from Bonparil village, went missing. The family made announcements through loudspeakers and social media in an effort to locate her. During this time, another child reported seeing Atika with a local juvenile.

Later, the suspect was detained and, based on his information, Atika’s body was recovered around 10:00 pm from a nearby maize field, with cloth wrapped around her neck. The accused fled shortly after the incident.

Following the incident, agitated relatives and locals detained the accused’s elder brother Nazmul. Later, his father Pannu Mia and uncle Fazlu Mia were called to the scene and beaten by a mob around 11:00 pm. Both died on the spot, and their bodies were later thrown into a nearby pond.

Upon receiving the information, police quickly arrived at the scene and rescued critically injured Nazmul Hossain. He was first taken to Manikganj District Sadar Hospital and later shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.

Police subsequently recovered the bodies of Atika, Pannu Mia, and Fazlu Mia and sent them to the morgue of Manikganj Medical College Hospital for autopsy. After the post-mortem on Friday evening, Atika’s body was handed over to her family. She was later buried at the Bonparil Central Graveyard after Isha prayers.

The bodies of Pannu Mia and Fazlu Mia, who were killed in the mob beating, have also been handed over to their families. However, no formal complaint has yet been filed regarding that incident, police said.

Atika’s uncle, Md. Almas Hossain, said, “We want justice for this brutal murder. The culprits must receive the highest punishment.”

Superintendent of Police Mohammad Sarwar Alam stated that the main accused Nayeem was arrested based on intelligence and technological tracking. He will be presented before the juvenile court after interrogation. Efforts are ongoing to arrest another accused, Rony. Injured Nazmul Hossain remains under treatment and is under police surveillance.

Officer-in-Charge of Sadar Police Station Ikram Hossain confirmed that the case has been registered and the investigation is ongoing. Additional police have been deployed in Bonparil to maintain law and order.

The tragic incident has left the entire area in mourning, alongside heightened tension.