In the past few days, a child’s picture kept appearing repeatedly on social media, Facebook. With red lipstick on her lips, a big smile on her face, and enchanting eyes staring intently, she wore a purple dress. This adorable child, Muntaha Akter’s picture, has been seen countless times over the last few days.
Everyone is looking for this five-year-old child. “Where has the child disappeared to?” is the question on everyone’s mind. Every day, many children go missing, so it seemed like just another such case. As a result, any child seen lying at a station in Mymensingh might be assumed to be Muntaha, and the photo spreads on Facebook. Though it creates hope among people, the truth remains elusive.
Days pass, and Muntaha becomes everyone’s child. People, like frantic parents, search for their beloved child, and for finding Muntaha, rewards are announced. Some promise gold chains, others offer lakhs of taka, or even a job.
What an incredible manifestation of social solidarity. Everyone shares the hope that Muntaha will return. But when she does return, it leaves everyone in shock. While the entire country was looking for Muntaha, her body had been buried in a nearby pond.
Muntaha’s home is in the village of Bīrḍal Bhāṛārīfoud in the Kanaighat upazila of Sylhet. After attending a Waz Mahfil on the morning of November 3, she went outside to play with her father but was never seen again. After the child went missing, the family claimed that Muntaha had been kidnapped.
A young woman who used to tutor Muntaha was arrested as a suspect. It was later revealed that the woman’s mother, to cover up the incident, took the body from the pond where it had been buried and, on Sunday morning, tried to dispose of it in a nearby pond. However, she was caught by local residents before she could complete her act. The body of Muntaha was recovered, and angry locals vandalized the woman’s house and set it on fire. The police intervened and stopped the situation.
Preliminary investigations suggest that Muntaha may have been murdered due to a personal or family dispute. The child had to pay the price for the vengeance of adults. Our children are so vulnerable to insecurity in so many ways!
