An 18-month-old girl was killed after a piece of heavy furniture fell on her at a furniture shop in Siddhirganj, Narayanganj, on Tuesday afternoon.

The deceased has been identified as Faiza, daughter of Farhad Mia, a garment worker who lives in the area. The incident took place at Bhai Bhai Furniture, located on Jewel Road in the Mizmizi Tera Market area of Siddhirganj, at around the afternoon of 25 August.

According to local residents, Farhad Mia had taken his young daughter with him when he visited the furniture shop. At one point, shop employees called him over to speak with them. While Farhad was talking to the employees, Faiza was a short distance away.

The toddler then began crawling towards her father and the shop employees. At that moment, a heavy piece of furniture suddenly toppled over and fell on her. She was trapped underneath the furniture and died at the scene, according to people present nearby.

The sudden death of the child shocked local residents, who gathered at the shop shortly after the incident. The circumstances surrounding the fall of the furniture were not immediately clear.

Residents alleged that the accident may have occurred because heavy furniture and other goods had not been placed securely inside the shop. They said such items need to be stored carefully, particularly in areas where customers and children may be moving around. However, no independent investigation into the cause of the accident had been reported at the time of publication.

Farhad Mia, speaking in distress, said he had taken his daughter to the shop with him. While he was speaking to one of the employees, Faiza, who had been standing some distance away, started crawling towards him.

“Just then, a piece of furniture fell on her. My daughter died in front of my eyes,” he said.

The incident has raised concerns among local residents about safety arrangements inside furniture shops, where large and heavy items are often kept in confined spaces. Proper positioning and securing of such furniture can be particularly important when customers are present and when there is limited room for movement.

Siddhirganj police station Officer-in-Charge Emdadul Haque said he was not aware of the incident when contacted. He said that if a complaint was lodged and any negligence was found, action would be taken in accordance with the law.

It was not immediately known whether the family had formally lodged a complaint over the child’s death.