Body of 6-year-old Muntaha found after 7 days

The body of six-year-old Muntaha Akhter Jarin, who went missing on November 3, was recovered from a pond near her house in Bhararifoud village of Sylhet's Kanaighat upazila early today. The girl's family had lodged a missing person report two days later on November 5.

Her hands and feet were found tied up with rope and the body was buried in the mud of the pond, said Alok Kanti Sharma, assistant superintendent of Police of Kanaighat Circle in Sylhet.

He said that her body has been sent to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital for autopsy.

The police are questioning Muntaha's next door neighbours -- Aliajan Bibi and her daughter Shamima Begum Marjia. "We are also interrogating Aliajan's elderly mother, Kutubjan Begum." Alok Kanti said preliminary findings suggest they killed the child due to previous enmity with her father.

On November 3, Muntaha went to a religious programme with her father and, upon returning home in the afternoon, went out to play with other children. She was last seen around 3:00pm that day.

Muntaha's father, Shamim Ahmed, said his daughter had been abducted after she went missing and offered a reward for information leading to her recovery.