Infant stabbed by mentally challenged man

An eight-month-old child was stabbed by his mentally challenged uncle at Kamrangirchar in the capital last night.

Nabil, son of Md Nasir and Taslima Begum, of Madbarbazar area in Kamrangirchar, was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in critical condition, DMCH sources said.

Shahin Fakir, officer-in-charge of Kamrangirchar Police Station, told The Daily Star that Taslima's brother Habibur Rahman, 26, had been suffering from psychological issues for last eight to nine years.

Habibur's condition had improved but turned for the worse over the last three days, the OC said.

Around 6:30pm yesterday, Habibur started chasing Taslima with a billhook. Fearing for her life, Taslima ran away from him leaving Nabil inside a room. But Habibur locked the doors of the room from the inside, the OC said.

When locals stormed into the room, they found Habibur holding a blood-stained knife and the child screaming, he said quoting witnesses.

Locals caught and handed Habibur over to police. Police later sent him to the National Institute of Mental Health in Dhaka, the OC said.