A group of local criminals have strangled a three-year-old boy to death after failing to rape his mother in a village under Gangachhara upazila in Rangpur district early Friday.
Witnesses said a gang of local criminals numbering four-five, attacked the house of the woman around 12:30am while she was sleeping with her baby boy.
Of the attackers, two tried to rape her. At one stage, the attackers strangled the boy to death as he started crying.
Hearing the hue and cry, locals rushed in but, the criminals threw the baby's body in a nearby pond and fled the scene.
Of the culprits, one was identified as Hasan Ali, 28, a neighbour of the woman.
Locals said Hasan had previously tried to rape the victim when her husband was away from home.
However, he failed to do so as neighbours came to her rescue and caught him red-handed. Later, the relatives of Hasan managed to catch him.
Family members claimed that Hasan along with his associates attacked the victims in order to take revenge.
Officer-in-Charge of Gangachhara Model police station Abdul Mannan said: “The police have arrested Hasan. A murder and an attempt to rape case have been filed in this connection.
The police is trying to arrest the others accused,” he added.
Police did not make the identy of the woman public for social reasons.
