Four-year-old Jihad has been found dead inside the abandoned 600-ft deep water pump pipe at capital's Shahjahanpur Railway Colony on Saturday afternoon, almost a full day (23 hours) after he fell into it.
The duty doctors of Dhaka Medical College Hospital declared him dead after he was taken there around 3:45pm. DMCH residential doctor Riaz Morshed confirmed the news.
The doctors at DMCH later held a press briefing where they said Jihad had died around three-fours before he was recovered.
Locals recovered Jihad from the Shahjhanpur Railway Coloney well at around 3pm. They claimed that Jihad was already dead when he was brought out.
But there were no such announcements from the authorities at the spot.
Dhaka Tribune Correspondent Jamil Khan reported from the spot: "I saw Jihad's body being carried away."
He said Jihad was unconscious when he was brought out of the well.
Jihad's body was found and brought soon after the fire service chief declared that the rescue effort was suspended.
Director General of Fire Service and Civil Defence, Brigadier General Ali Ahmed Khan made the announcement at 2:40pm after firemen failed to detect trace of a human body inside the abandoned well said to bee 600-foot deep.
He said: "We have tried several times. But could not detect the location of the boy. Experts from different organisations also could not find any specific evidence in this regard. However, we continued the rescue efforts as the parents requested us to."
"We are now handing over the operation to railway engineers. They will take further steps in this regard and the fire fighters will help them if necessary."
"We are thanking all for their efforts and express our condolences for family members of the little boy," added the DG.
Despite the announcement by State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan that no one has been trapped inside the abandoned well and it was merely a rumour, the rescue operation continued till Saturday afternoon faced with the pressure from the locals.
The rescuers made an iron cage with which they tried to 'fish' out the boy. A camera was also attached with the cage in order to monitor the situation inside the hole for the third time.
The fire fighters made several attempts to bring the boy out of the well using a rope as it was not possible for them to send a rescuer inside the 17-inch wide well. They said there was a shaft at the bottom of the well, about two inches thick and the boy could not have fallen from there.
Earlier on Friday, Nasir Uddin, father of four-year old Jihad, said his son fell into the 600-ft deep pipe at Shahjahanpur Railway Colony area while playing with his friends at around 3.30pm.
A rescue team, combining Fire Service and Dhaka WASA, began rescue operations immediately after being informed.
The rescuers apparently sent in food and water for Jihad and said they had also ensure oxygen supply.
Thousands of local thronged the area while several television stations broadcast the rescue efforts live.
The railway authorities had dug the well for setting up a water pump for the colony people, Major Shakil said.
"But it was left abandoned as dirty water was coming out from the pump," said Major Shakil.
