A life lost to 'ill intentions'

Locals in the city's Gendaria yesterday staged demonstrations demanding capital punishment for a house owner, who allegedly killed a two year-old girl after rape two days ago.

The body of the minor was found in a pool of blood in front of the four-storey house on Dinnath Sen Road on Saturday evening.

Owner of the house, Nahid, 45, was arrested yesterday morning, police said.

“On Saturday evening, Nahid took the girl to his home on the second floor of the building with ill motives. At one stage, the girl started crying for her mother,” said Mahbub Alam, inspector (investigation) of Gendaria Police Station, quoting Nahid's 12-year old daughter who was in the house at the time.

In police custody, Nahid denied killing or raping the girl but admitted that he took the girl to his home with ill intentions, police said.

The girl died after falling from the building, the police officer said, adding they are yet to confirm whether Nahid killed her or she accidently fell as there was no railing on the veranda.

The father of the victim, meanwhile, alleged that Nahid took the girl -- luring her with promise of food -- on Saturday evening, killed her after rape and threw the body off the building later.

“We initially thought my daughter died after falling from the building. But Nahid's daughter told locals that it was her father who picked my daughter up and later killed her by throwing her off the building,” he told The Daily Star.

“We want justice for the girl,” the father said.     

Locals said they heard a loud bang and sound of screaming, seconds before seeing the body in front of the building. She was declared dead after being rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).

The girl, who used to live with her parents in a nearby tin-shed house, used to play on the streets every day, locals said. She was second of four siblings. 

The victim's father, a welding worker, was not home and her mother was busy cooking.

After news of the girl's death and arrest of Nahid spread in the area, locals gathered in front of the Gendaria Police Station, demanding highest punishment for Nahid. A case was filed against Nahid in this connection.

Once a clothes trader, twice-divorced Nahid used to live off house rent.

Sources at the DMCH morgue said they did not find any evidence of rape. The child died from the fall, the sources added.