The father, grandparents and an aunt of a one-and-half-months-old baby have been arrested for “murdering” the baby born prematurely in Aronkola village under Ishwardi upazila of Pabna.

Police recovered the body from a cabinet in the house on Saturday night.

Atika Khatun was born prematurely with disabilities to one Ashraful Islam on December 5, police said.

“Ashraful's family wanted a son. He already has two girls and when the third child turned out to be a daughter, they were very unhappy. Atika was born prematurely at seven months and had severe disabilities. The family conspired to kill the baby to be freed from the burden of a sick girl child. They also planned to implicate their neighbour, with whom they have some enmity,” Md Johurul Haque, assistant superintendent of Ishwardi police circle, told The Daily Star.

Atika went missing around noon after her mother was called away by her mother-in-law to the next room in the house.

“When I returned, the baby was missing and after not being able to locate her, we informed the police. Police recovered the body from a cabinet in the house,” said Nishi Khatun, Atika's mother.

Nishi said she was tortured by her in laws since Atika was born for failing to deliver a son. The family could not accept Atika's disabilities, she said.

Nishi demanded punishment of the people who killed her child.

The arrestees are: Ashraful Islam Khan, 33, father of Atika, Ayub Ali Khan, 72, grandfather of Atika, Selina Khatun, 68, grandmother of Atika and Josna Khatun, 57, aunt of Atika.

During primary interrogation they confessed to killing the baby and also of trying to implicate their neighbour, the ASP said.

Officer-in-Charge Azim Uddin of Ishwardi Police Station said Nishi filed a case accusing the four Saturday night.

Police sent the body of the victim to Pabna Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy.