Tension erupted in Baklia, Chattogram, on Thursday after a three-year-old girl was allegedly raped in a residential building on Abu Zafar Road. The incident occurred while the child’s mother was at work and her father was out driving a rickshaw. Locals accused a 32-year-old shop employee of committing the assault. When the crime became known, residents captured the suspect and locked him inside a nearby madrasa gate. Police arrived to rescue the accused, but the situation quickly escalated as the crowd demanded that he be handed over to them.

Eyewitnesses said police faced resistance while trying to take the suspect to the station, leading to clashes involving chasing, scuffling, and physical confrontation. Police fired bullets, sound grenades, and tear gas to disperse the crowd, injuring several people, though the exact number of casualties was not immediately confirmed. The area remained under public control for over an hour before additional forces were deployed.

The injured child was admitted to the One Stop Crisis Centre at Chattogram Medical College Hospital in critical condition. Authorities have increased police presence in the area and pledged a proper investigation.