A 12-year-old boy, Zubayed, was found unconscious in a crop field along the Agarpur-Manoharpur road in Kuliarchar, Kishoreganj, a few hours after leaving his home in an autorickshaw.
On Sunday afternoon, three local youths Tushar, Ashiq and Mamun saw the child lying on the road and quickly rescued him. Initially, Zubayd had lost the ability to speak and his physical condition was critical. After receiving first aid at a local pharmacy, he was admitted to the Kuliarchar Upazila Health Complex.
Later, after posting a picture of the rescued child on social media, family members confirmed his identity. It is believed that the child was drugged and the autorickshaw was hijacked in a premeditated manner. He is currently undergoing treatment in the hospital and the autorickshaw has not yet been recovered.
The victim’s mother, Yasmin Akhter, and father, Abdul Qadir, alleged that the auto-rickshaw was kept in the garage for sale and that Zubayd forcibly took permission to drive it.
The family claims that the child was not supposed to go far in the autorickshaw, but the miscreants cleverly lured him to a secluded area.
Doctors who observed Zubayd’s condition while he was being treated at the hospital said that the child had lost consciousness under the influence of a strong chemical or anesthetic. Medical Officer Minhajul Islam said that it would be possible to confirm his actual condition after 12 hours of observation.
The child’s father, Abdul Qadir, is a simple laborer, and this autorickshaw was one of the family’s main sources of income. There is intense anger and panic among the locals as the stolen autorickshaw has not been recovered and the criminals have not been caught.
Regarding the incident, Kuliarchar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Kazi Arif said that no formal complaint has been filed with the police station so far. Legal action will be taken if a written complaint is received.
