The body of 7-year-old Fatema who was dragged away by a crocodile from the steps of the Hazrat Khan Jahan Ali (R) shrine dighi in Bagerhat, has been recovered.
The body was recovered from the north-eastern side of the dighi at around 4:45am on Tuesday (June 2, 2026) with the help of locals.
A joint rescue operation involving the Fire Service, law enforcement agencies, and locals was conducted throughout the night.
The dreadful incident happened when the girl got into the dighi for bathing at the women's ghat at around 8:30pm on Monday (June 1), a huge crocodile suddenly dragged her away deep into the waterbody.
Hearing the appeal of the girl for saving her life, locals, visitors and khadems staying at the shrine rushed to the ghat. They themselves started rescue operation getting down into the dighi at their own initiatives.
Receiving information of such a sensational and undesirable accident in the shrine's dighi, Bagerhat-2 constituency's MP Sheikh Manzurul Huq Rahad, Deputy Commissioner Golam Md Baten, Police Super Hasan Mohammad Naser Rikabdar and Additional Police Super (Admn and Finance) Md Mohidul Islam went there. Consoling the family of the deceased girl, they supervised the rescue operation.
The chief Khadem of the shrine stated that while crocodile bite marks were found on the recovered body, it remained intact.
The deceased, Fatema lived in the shrine area with her mentally challenged mother.
The Bagerhat Model Police Station has taken custody of the body for autopsy.
Decision has been taken to strengthen security around the dighi and enforce bans or restrictions on bathing.
END/CORRESPONDENT/ASA
