7-Year-Old Girl Found Dead in Sack in Mollahat

Printed On: Sep 28, 2026 || Published On: Sep 27, 2026

7-Year-Old Girl Found Dead in Sack in Mollahat

Princh Mondal Olif, Bagerhat District Correspondent:

A seven-year-old girl was found dead inside a sack several hours after she went missing while playing in Mollahat of Bagerhat on Saturday (September 26). Her body was recovered from beside a betel-leaf garden in the courtyard of a house in Kochuria Paschim Para in the evening.

The deceased was identified as Muslima Sheikh, daughter of Islam Sheikh, 40, of the same village.

Police have detained three people in connection with the incident. They are Sheikh Jahangir, 55, and his two sons—Ramjan Sheikh, 23, and Abdur Rahman Sheikh, 19.

According to the victim’s family and local residents, Muslima went out to play at around 4:00pm on Saturday, as she did regularly. She was reportedly playing with another local child with whom she frequently spent time.

At one point, however, Muslima went missing.

Her family members began searching nearby areas and visited several houses in an attempt to locate her. They also went to Jahangir Sheikh’s house to ask about the child, according to the family.

The family said they were told that Muslima had already left the premises. They were also advised to inform the police.

As the search continued, local people were informed about the disappearance. Posts seeking information about the missing child were also circulated on social media, while local journalists were contacted for assistance.

Later in the evening, local residents noticed a suspicious sack near the northern corner of a betel-leaf garden beside an embankment in the courtyard of Jahangir Sheikh’s house.

The sack had reportedly been tied with banana-plant fibre and covered with banana leaves and other waste materials.

When the sack was opened, Muslima’s body was found inside.

The discovery triggered anger and tension in the area.

Family alleges Tk 500,000 extortion demand

Muslima’s father, Islam Sheikh, has alleged that Jahangir Sheikh had been demanding Tk 500,000 from him for a long time.

He further alleged that he had been threatened with serious harm if he failed to pay the demanded money.

Islam Sheikh claimed that his daughter was killed because he did not pay the alleged extortion money and that the body was subsequently placed inside a sack and abandoned near the betel-leaf garden.

However, the allegation of extortion has not been independently verified.

Police have not yet established the motive for the killing. Investigators are expected to examine the allegation as part of the broader investigation into the child’s death.

Houses reportedly set on fire

Following the recovery of the body, tension escalated in the area. Local residents said an angry group of people set fire to Jahangir Sheikh’s residential house and several other structures, including a kitchen, a chicken shed and the betel-leaf garden.

Police went to the scene to bring the situation under control.

Sheikh Hafizur Rahman, president of the Mollahat upazila unit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and Shikdar Harun-Al-Rashid, general secretary of the same unit, were also reportedly present and attempted to calm the crowd.

Some local eyewitnesses raised allegations concerning the role of police during the tense situation. There were also claims regarding the involvement of local political figures. However, these allegations could not be independently verified immediately.

Three detained, murder case filed

Mollahat Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shahadat Hossain confirmed the recovery of the child’s body and said police had detained three people over their alleged involvement in the incident.

The detainees are Sheikh Jahangir, his son Ramjan Sheikh and Abdur Rahman Sheikh.

The OC said the investigation was underway and that the law and order situation in the area was under control.

According to police, arrangements were being made to complete the inquest and send the body to Bagerhat for autopsy.

A murder case has been filed with Mollahat Police Station by the victim’s father, Islam Sheikh.

The case was registered on September 27, 2026, as Case No. 21, according to information provided in connection with the case.

Investigation to focus on several questions

Investigators now face several key questions: Where was Muslima after she went out to play? Who was she with before her disappearance? How did she reach the area where her body was found? Where did the killing take place? Who put her body inside the sack, and when was it left beside the betel-leaf garden?

The alleged Tk 500,000 extortion demand will also require verification as part of the investigation.

The autopsy report is expected to provide important evidence regarding the cause and circumstances of the child’s death.

At the same time, the arson that reportedly followed the recovery of the body is another matter requiring legal attention. While the alleged murder must be investigated fairly and those responsible brought before the law if the allegations are proven, any acts of arson or mob violence should also be dealt with according to law.

The death of a seven-year-old child has left the community shocked and distressed. Muslima’s family is seeking a proper investigation and justice.

The central issue now is whether investigators can establish what happened to the child between the time she went out to play and the recovery of her body, and whether the allegations surrounding the alleged extortion demand have any factual basis.

The investigation is expected to determine the circumstances of Muslima’s death and the individual responsibility, if any, of those detained.