7-year-old girl found with slashed throat in Sitakunda forest

A seven-year-old girl was found critically injured with a slashed throat in the deep forest of Sitakunda Botanical Garden and Eco Park, authorities said.

She was rescued on Sunday afternoon (March 1) by local workers and is now receiving treatment at Chattogram Medical College Hospital’s One Stop Crisis Centre (OCC).

According to eyewitnesses and police, the incident took place around 2:00pm during road development work about five kilometers inside the park. An excavator operator spotted the girl staggering through the forest, bleeding heavily. Her throat had been slashed, her clothes were blood-soaked, and she was partially unclothed.

Rescuers, including Rabiul Hasan and Ariful Islam Rony, quickly applied a makeshift bandage to her throat and transported her to Sitakunda Upazila Health Complex for emergency care.

Health officials said her condition is critical, and she is unable to speak due to the throat injury. Preliminary examinations suggest she may have been sexually assaulted, prompting her transfer to Chattogram Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.

Sitakunda Police Inspector Md. Almogir Hossain and Officer-in-Charge Mohinul Islam said the girl is believed to have been lured from the Kumira area into the forest by the assailants, who left her for dead after the attack.

Hospital authorities confirmed the girl was able to communicate her identity with difficulty, and her family has been informed.

Police have launched an investigation and are working to identify and apprehend those responsible.

The incident has sparked outrage in the community, with locals demanding increased security in the park and swift action against the perpetrators.