Pabna, Sept 18 (V7N) – Police have arrested a neighbour in connection with the killing of 10-year-old schoolgirl Kamrun Nahar Koli in Kulunia village of Pabna Sadar upazila, while teachers, students and parents held a human chain demanding swift and strict punishment for those responsible.
The suspect, Mostafa Pramanik, 50, was initially detained on Wednesday, Sept 16, and was formally shown arrested on Thursday after police said he admitted his involvement in the killing during questioning.
However, police said they could not disclose details about the motive or circumstances of the killing at this stage, citing the ongoing investigation.
Pabna Sadar police station Officer-in-Charge Tarikul Islam confirmed the arrest, saying Mostafa was detained and subsequently shown arrested after investigators found his involvement in the incident.
“It is not possible to disclose at this moment how or why the child was killed, as the investigation is ongoing,” the officer said.
He said Koli’s father had initially filed an abduction case against unidentified suspects. The case has since been converted into a murder case following the recovery of the child’s body.
Regarding allegations that the child was sexually assaulted, the officer said investigators were not in a position to confirm the matter at this stage and that further information would emerge after the investigation.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Kindergarten Association’s Pabna branch organised a human chain in front of the Pabna Press Club at around 11am on Thursday, demanding swift and severe punishment for those responsible for the killing and alleged sexual assault.
Children from different schools took part in the protest, holding placards bearing messages such as “We want the right to live,” “We will not accept conspiracies against our rights,” “We want the Child Rights Act implemented” and “We demand justice for Koli’s murder.”
Teachers from different schools and colleges and parents also joined the demonstration.
Speakers alleged that Koli had been sexually assaulted before she was killed and demanded immediate justice. They said such brutal incidents cannot be allowed to continue and called for effective law enforcement and an end to impunity.
They urged the authorities to ensure a swift and fair trial in the case.
Koli went missing after leaving her home on the evening of Sept 9. Seven days later, on the morning of Wednesday, Sept 16, police recovered her body, packed in a sack, from a ditch near her home in Kulunia village of Dogachhi Union under Pabna Sadar upazila.
The investigation into the killing is ongoing.
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