A man killed his three-month-old daughter and tore up a copy of Qur’an while performing a ritual in order to get “treasures” at Baraigram upazila in Natore early yesterday.
The deceased, Nusrat Rukaiya, was drowned in a pond as per the instruction of a fake spiritual leader.
Monjuwara, Nusrat’s mother, said her husband, Nazmul Islam, was a carpenter by profession. Recently, he started following a fake spiritual leader, who instigated him to sacrifice their daughter for hidden treasure.
“Nazmul drowned Nusrat in a pond nearby in the morning. Later, he tore up the pages of a copy of Qur’an as a part of the rituals required to get the so-called hidden treasures,” she said.
Asked about the identity of the “fake spiritual leader,” she said: “I do not know anyone. Nazmul never mentioned his name. Some people, who often visited him, might be members of the group.”
Liton Khandakar, the family’s neighbour, said Nazmul often told the neighbours that he would get hidden treasure if he sacrificed his daughter in the name of the Almighty Allah.
Locals said they had caught Nazmul in the act – when he was drowning his daughter – and held him to hand him over to police. But his uncle took him away saying he was taking Nazmul to hospital, and Nazmul has been absconding since.
Monirul Islam, officer-in-charge of Baraigram police station, said police visited the spot and recovered the child’s body. “The investigation is underway. We are trying to identify the members of the fake spiritual gang. Nazmul managed to escape.
“We are trying to capture him. People responsible for the killing will be held soon after the arrest of Nazmul,” the OC said.