Muntaha murder: Agitated locals torch suspects' house in Sylhet

Agitated locals set fire to the house of two local women detained in connection with the murder of Muntaha Akhter Jarin, a six-year-old girl who went missing on November 3 in Kanaighat upazila of Sylhet.

The child's body was found early today, tied with rope and buried in a pond near her house. Police later detained Muntaha's neighbours, Aliajan Bibi and her daughter Shamima Begum Marjia, this morning.

Following the grim discovery seven days after Muntaha went missing, hundreds of people surrounded the house of the detained women. They vandalised, looted, and set fire to the house, Assistant Superintendent of Police (Kanaighat Circle) Alok Kanti Sharma told The Daily Star.

"We are revisiting the spot with higher officials from Sylhet District Police to control the situaion," he said.

Last night, police detained Marjia for quizzing, and later questioned Aliajan's mother, Kutubjan Begum. Based on the information provided by them, police requested locals to search for the body near their house.

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Afsar Uddin Ahmed, chairman of Kanaighat Sadar Union, said that locals initially suspected the neighbours due to a family dispute and began searching the area for evidence.

Around 4:00am today, Aliajan was seen trying to move Muntaha's body to another pond, leading to its recovery.

Muntaha's family had an ongoing feud with the suspects, although Marjia had once tutored the young girl. The relationship soured recently, possibly fueling motives behind the tragedy, locals said.

On November 3, Muntaha went missing after returning from a religious event with her father, last seen around 3:00pm while playing with friends. Her father, Shamim Ahmed, suspected abduction and even offered a reward for her return.