Police in Chattogram have arrested Md. Babu Sheikh, 50, identified as the main suspect in the killing of seven-year-old Jannatul Naima Ira. The second-grade student went missing on Monday after leaving home to visit her grandfather’s house in Sitakunda’s Kumira area. According to police, the suspect lured Ira with chocolate and took her to the top of Chandranath Hill, where she was brutally assaulted and her throat slit. Despite severe injuries, Ira managed to walk out of the forest before collapsing. She was taken to Chattogram Medical College Hospital but died early Tuesday.

Police Superintendent Mohammad Nazir Ahmed Khan said the attack stemmed from a family dispute. Investigators recovered chocolate, a bloodstained shirt, and the knife used in the assault. A video showing the suspect walking with Ira led to his arrest. Doctors confirmed Ira’s condition was critical from the start, and samples were collected for further tests to confirm the nature of the assault.

The incident has left the local community in shock, with residents demanding exemplary punishment for the perpetrator.