Three arrestees gave confessional statements before a judicial magistrate in Feni on Friday after the body of a 10-year-old boy was recovered from a ditch on Thursday, police said.

Ashraf Hossain Chowdhury alias Tushar, 20, Md Mobarak Hossain Wasim, 20, and Omar Faruk Rifat, 20, were arrested in a case filed over the kidnapping and killing of Ahnaf Al Mayeen Nashit, a fourth-grader at a Feni school.

The trio gave confessional statements before the court of Judicial Magistrate Zia Uddin Ahmed under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, Mormo Singha Tripura, officer-in-charge of Feni Model Police Station, confirmed to The Daily Star.

Police first arrested Ashraf on Wednesday night after the victim's father Mayeen Uddin Shohag informed police.

After the kidnapping incident, Ashraf made several posts on Facebook to find the missing child. He also shared Shohag's Facebook post and gave him various suggestions.

However, at one point, Shohag started suspecting Ashraf and informed police.

Police first detained Ashraf and based on his information, arrested Wasim and Rifat.

Police said Nashit was initially kidnapped for ransom but the abductors strangled the child to death fearing that the incident will come to light if the child was returned to the family.

Ashraf was reported to be a local Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal activist. However, Salauddin Mamun, president of Feni district unit JCD, said Ashraf does not hold any post at any Chhatra Dal units.

OC Mormo said the statements were recorded from Friday afternoon till evening.

After the confessional statements, the arrestees were sent to Feni jail.

Earlier, Nashit was allegedly kidnapped from the town's Birinchi Atiqul Alam Road area around 7:30pm on December 8 when the he was returning home from a coaching centre.

The body was recovered from a ditch near Dewanganj railway area under Feni Sadar upazila around Thursday afternoon.

Meanwhile, locals in Feni today formed a human chain at local Shaheed Minar premises under the banner "Nashit-er Elakabashi" demanding speedy arrest of the accused in a murder case filed in connection with Nashit's killing and their exemplary punishment, reports our correspondent in Feni.