A Class X schoolgirl was repeatedly stabbed by a teenager in front of her home in Kushtia town on Monday afternoon.
The 15-year-old girl was rescued and rushed to Kushtia General Hospital, where she is undergoing treatment. Doctors initially described her condition as critical but later said she was out of danger, reports Bangla Tribune.
The incident took place in the Thanapara area at around 1:11pm on Monday. The attacker fled the scene after dropping the knife, prompting police to launch a manhunt.
The victim, originally from Faridpur, is a Class X student at Kushtia Mission Secondary School. Her father works as a regional marketing representative for a pharmaceutical company in Kushtia. The family has been living in a rented apartment on the third floor of a building in Thanapara for a long time.
According to police and local sources, the girl was returning home after her school's selection examination. At around 1:11pm, she was standing in front of the building and ringing the doorbell when the teenager approached her from behind and repeatedly stabbed her.
The girl tried to fend off the attack with her hands while screaming for help. She eventually collapsed on the road in front of the building.
Shahadat Hossain, a resident of a house opposite the building, said his sister was on the balcony when she witnessed the attack and screamed.
He rushed outside and saw the attacker stabbing the girl several times, at one point grabbing her by the hair. The victim was wearing her school uniform at the time.
"The attack lasted barely 30 seconds before the boy dropped the knife and fled," he said.
The girl's mother rushed downstairs after hearing the commotion. Seeing her daughter covered in blood, she nearly fainted, Shahadat added.
The girl was subsequently taken to the hospital by rickshaw, where she is receiving treatment.
Police launched an anti-teenage gang drive across the town following the incident. By 6pm, 14 people had been taken to the police station for questioning. A separate operation is underway to arrest the attacker.
The victim's father said he was away on work when he received a call from his wife informing him of the attack. He rushed to the hospital but said he could not understand why his daughter had been targeted.
He added that his daughter had never mentioned any problems or harassment, and he had no knowledge of whether anyone had ever stalked or harassed her.
Kushtia District Police spokesperson and Additional Superintendent of Police Faisal Mahmud said CCTV footage from several cameras installed in the building had helped identify the attacker.
"An operation is underway to arrest him. The knife used in the attack has been seized. The accused teenager is a Class X student at a school in Kushtia town," he said.
Dr Zahid Iqbal of the surgery department at Kushtia General Hospital said the girl had sustained three deep stab wounds, including two on her hands, along with several other injuries.
"All the wounds have been stitched. She is currently out of danger and has been admitted to the hospital for further treatment," he said.