An 11-year-old girl, who went missing while crossing a road in Dhaka's Mohammadpur, has been rescued from Naogaon by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and the Detective Branch (DB) in coordination with Adabor Police Station.
A young man has been detained in connection with the incident.
Adabor Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) SM Zakaria confirmed the news on Tuesday, February 4.
He stated that a team from Adabor Police Station and DB traveled to Naogaon, where they identified the missing girl, Arabi Islam Suba, with the assistance of the district police. Suba was then rescued, and the young man she had allegedly run away with was taken into custody. The detained individual may face charges if Suba’s family decides to file a case against him.
The girl had gone missing on Sunday, February 2, around 6:00 PM, after leaving her home with her younger cousin. She disappeared while crossing the road. Suba is a sixth-grade student at a school in Barishal.
CCTV footage from the area showed Suba near Tokyo Square in Mohammadpur. She was seen walking with another individual besides her cousin.
According to OC SM Zakaria, Suba had a relationship with the young man seen in the footage, which led her to leave with him. Her family provided the young man’s phone number, which was used to track her down through digital surveillance.
Suba’s father, Imran Rajib, explained that his family has been staying at his sister’s house in Dhaka for two months due to his wife’s cancer treatment. On Sunday evening, Suba went outside with her cousin. While crossing the road, her cousin moved ahead, and when he turned back, Suba was gone. Following her disappearance, the family filed a general diary (GD) with Adabor Police Station.
The police are now investigating whether the girl left willingly or was coerced, and legal action will depend on the statements provided by Suba and her family.