Locals in the Kagojipara area of Patiya upazila municipality, Chattogram, detained two people over an allegation of attempting to abduct a child and handed them over to police. The incident occurred around noon on Thursday (September 17). Those detained were identified as Md Faruk, 42, son of Abul Foyez from Kochuai union, and Shahjahan Begum, 40, daughter of Jamal Hossain from the Kutupalong area. Accused Shahjahan Begum is said to live in a rented house in the upazila’s Badamtoli area.
According to local sources, a nine-year-old third-grade student at Ashraf Ali Academy in Patiya sadar’s Kagojipara area was walking home after class when a rickshaw-puller and a woman allegedly offered to drop her at her house and had her get into a rickshaw. Instead of dropping her at home, they allegedly began taking the rickshaw in a different direction, at which point locals, hearing the child scream, rushed to help. Residents chased and caught the rickshaw along with the two people.
The child’s father, an expatriate worker named Shahnewaz Mamun, said: “As my daughter was being taken past our house, her screaming brought local people out. With everyone’s help, they were caught.” Local resident and Patiya municipality Jubo Dal senior joint convener Mamunur Rashid Mamun said: “We parents are worried about this child-snatching incident. On hearing about it, we went to the scene and handed the accused over to the law.”
Patiya police station’s officer-in-charge (OC), Ziaul Haque, said two people had been taken into custody over the child-snatching allegation and that the matter is being investigated.