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field. The victim’s family and locals suspect the child was raped before being murdered.

According to police, the child went missing on Monday afternoon while playing near her home. As she did not return, family members and locals launched an overnight search but could not find her.

Later in the morning, locals found the body, stuffed in a sack and buried in a hole in the field. On information, police rushed to the spot and recovered the body around 10:00am, said Tuhin Mia, sub-inspector of Aditmari Police Station.

An hour later, police detained Bidhan Chandra Barman, 23, and his father, Ranjit Barman, on suspicion of raping and murdering the child.

However, locals formed a mob and attacked police in attempts to snatch and beat up the suspects. The violence left several cops injured, government vehicles vandalised, and houses torched.

Lalmonirhat Superintendent of Police Md Asaduzzaman said locals attacked them with bricks, leaving at least 18 officers injured, including himself and the deputy commissioner.

Five police vehicles and one belonging to the DC were vandalised, he said, adding, “They also set fire to three houses belonging to Bidhan Chandra Barman’s family.”

No civilian injuries were reported till the filing of this report at 8:00pm last night.

Police fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd, while Border Guard Bangladesh personnel were deployed to bring the situation under control, he said. “Those involved in the attacks and vandalism are being identified from video footage and will face legal action.”

Speaking to The Daily Star, the victim’s father said he had gone to Aditmari Police Station around 11:00pm on Monday after the child went missing to file a complaint, but the OC did not take immediate action.

“If the OC had acted at night, I might have gotten my daughter back alive.”

Aditmari Police Station OC Nazmul Haque has been withdrawn and attached to police lines for alleged negligence of duty, SP Asaduzzaman said.

The child’s father also alleged that outsiders came to the area and incited violence.

“I have no conflict with anyone in the village. My little girl was raped and murdered. I just want justice.”

The process of filing a case was underway at the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, SI Tuhin said preliminary investigations suggest the child was strangled. “Once the autopsy report is received, it will be known whether the child was raped before the murder.”

Meanwhile, in Moulvibazar’s Sreemangal upazila, police detained a 42-year-old man over the rape of a third-grade student yesterday.

According to the victim’s father, the incident occurred around 7:00am when the girl was on her way to a maktab for religious classes.

The accused, identified as Anwar Mia, allegedly lured her to his house under the pretext of buying tiffin for the imam, after which the child was held captive for nearly two hours, during which time she was raped.

“She managed to escape when Anwar briefly left the room. Her mother found her in a distressed state near a local cemetery,” the father said.

Acting on the child’s account, locals apprehended Anwar and handed him over to law enforcement.

Sarkar Abdul Al Mamun, officer-in-charge of Sreemangal Police Station, confirmed that police were alerted around 11:50am after locals detained Anwar on raped charges.

The process of filing a case in this connection was underway at the time of filing this report around 8:00pm last night, he said.

(Our correspondents from Moulvibazar contributed to this report.)