Police in Shariatpur’s Damudya upazila have recovered the body of a three-year-old boy packed inside a sack in a ditch, six hours after he was reported missing. The gruesome discovery on Saturday afternoon sparked intense local anger, culminating in an enraged mob setting fire to a neighbour’s homestead following allegations of a feud-driven murder.
The deceased child, identified as Swaif Hossain, was the son of Selim Sardar and Shimuli Begum, residents of West Adasan village within the Sidhalkura Union. Law enforcement officers acting on the scene have detained one individual, identified as Russel Shikdar, for questioning in connection with the crime.
According to police and local residents, little Swaif stepped outside his family home around 7:00 AM on Saturday to play. Alarm raised shortly afterwards when relatives noticed his absence and began searching the immediate vicinity. When exhaustive efforts across neighbouring properties yielded no trace of the child, the family alerted the police station.
A search team comprising officers from Bangladesh Police and personnel from the Fire Service and Civil Defence launched a coordinated operation. Following several hours of meticulous searching, responders discovered the toddler’s body inside a tied sack submerged in a marshy ditch situated behind an adjoining homestead at approximately 1:00 PM.
Family members suspect that a bitter neighbourhood dispute motivated the killing. Selim Sardar recounted that a trivial altercation had broken out on Friday evening between his mother and members of neighbour Ali Akbar Shikdar’s household.
“My mother informed me about the row late last night,” Selim stated. “I went to the market this morning, only to return and find my boy missing. I immediately notified the police station. Search crews subsequently recovered my son’s body from the ditch behind Ali Akbar’s property. All I want is justice for my child.”
Word of the recovery spread rapidly throughout West Adasan, causing tempers to flare. A group of incensed villagers gathered and set fire to Ali Akbar Shikdar’s house, suspecting his family’s direct hand in the murder. The precise extent of the financial and structural damage caused by the arson remains unconfirmed.
Local sources noted that Ali Akbar and his family had fled the residence prior to the arson, preventing journalists from obtaining their statement or independently verifying the allegations leveled against them.
Police have prioritised both the homicide inquiry and the restoration of public order. Investigators are interrogating Russel Shikdar to establish where and how the toddler was killed before being concealed in the marsh.
Shamsul Arefin, Additional Superintendent of Police for the Gosairhat Circle, confirmed that forensic evidence is being gathered from the scene. He assured the public that a thorough investigation is underway to identify every culprit involved, while adding that the police are also monitoring the security situation and investigating the arson incident.
