13-Year-Old Apratim Found Dead in Cumilla After Going Missing

A 13-year-old schoolboy was found dead in a wooded area of Cumilla on Saturday, nearly 21 hours after he went missing from the Kotbari area. Police have detained three youths for questioning as they investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.

Boy went missing after leaving home

Ishayat Shahriar Apratim, a Class VII student at Border Guard Public School, left his home in Ward 24 of Kotbari under Cumilla Sadar Dakshin Police Station at around 3:30pm on Friday, September 18.

According to his family, Apratim had taken his mother's iPhone and gone out to take photographs with friends after Jummah prayers. He did not return home.

After searching for him at several locations, his father, KM Firoz Shahriar, filed a general diary at Sadar South Police Station that evening.

Police and family members continued searching for him, while investigators reviewed CCTV footage from his last known location and surrounding areas of Cumilla University.

Apratim was the only child of Dr Nahida Begum, an associate professor in the Bangla Department at Cumilla University, and KM Firoz Shahriar.

Body recovered from wooded area

Around noon on Saturday, September 19, police recovered Apratim's body from a wooded area in the Lalmai-Sananda hills in Kotbari, near Cumilla University.

Police said the boy had suffered severe injuries to his head. The body was sent to the morgue of Cumilla Medical College Hospital for an autopsy.

Cumilla Sadar Dakshin Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Rakibul Islam said the incident was under investigation.

"There are signs of severe injuries to his head. The incident is being investigated."

Police said investigators were examining CCTV footage and other evidence to establish what happened after Apratim left home.

The missing iPhone also emerged as an important part of the investigation. Police later recovered the phone from the home of Tuhin, one of the youths detained in connection with the case.

Three youths detained for questioning

Police have detained Tuhin, Anas and Fahim for questioning.

According to the Officer-in-Charge, Tuhin was detained at around 3:30pm on Saturday after CCTV footage showed him with Apratim in the Cumilla University campus area, where they remained for about an hour. Anas was detained around 7pm, followed by Fahim roughly 30 minutes later.

Police stressed that the three were being questioned as suspects and that the investigation was continuing.

Cumilla Superintendent of Police Md Anisuzzaman said investigators had found several important clues and were examining whether the iPhone was the sole motive or whether another reason was involved.

"We have found several important clues in the murder. We will soon determine whether the iPhone was the only motive behind the killing or whether there was another reason."

The recovered phone was found during a police raid at Tuhin's home in Sananda in the Lalmai hills.

University declares day of mourning

Cumilla University declared Sunday, September 20, a day of mourning following Apratim's death. Classes and scheduled examinations were suspended for the day.

The university community expressed shock over the death and called for a fair investigation, swift action against those responsible and appropriate punishment.

The university had coordinated with police, the Detective Branch, the Special Response Battalion and other law enforcement agencies during the search for Apratim.

His first namaz-e-janaza was scheduled to be held at the university campus at 10am on September 20. A second janaza was expected to be held at his father's home in Chandpur.

The investigation remains ongoing, with police continuing to examine CCTV footage, the recovered phone and other evidence to determine the circumstances and motive behind the death.