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How police tracked schoolgirl’s murder suspect without a phone
Published : Saturday, 10 October, 2026 at 6:58 PM
Observer Online Report
Detective police have arrested an autorickshaw driver in Chattogram in connection with the alleged rape and murder of a 14-year-old schoolgirl in Cumilla, tracking him down through a phone call he made using another person’s mobile phone despite carrying no device of his own.
The suspect, Suman, was arrested from the Alankar area of Chattogram city on Friday (October 9), following an investigation into the killing of Jannatul Tazmin, a Class VII student whose body was recovered from a paddy field in Jagatpur village of Lalmai upazila on Thursday (October 8).
According to an investigation officer, Suman allegedly raped Tazmin before strangling her with a gamchha. He then left the scene, bathed in a pond in front of a nearby mosque and headed towards Chattogram.
Detectives initially struggled to trace him because he was not carrying a mobile phone or any other digital device. However, questioning of his in-laws’ relatives revealed that one of his brothers lived in Chattogram, helping investigators establish his likely destination.
Police increased surveillance on the mobile numbers of his in-laws’ relatives to monitor incoming calls. At around 11:30AM on Friday, Suman called a relative of his in-laws in Jagatpur from a mobile phone belonging to a person in Chattogram’s Alankar area, requesting Tk 500 through bKash, saying he was in trouble.
Investigators traced the call and arrested him, according to police.
At a press briefing on Saturday morning, Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime) Pankaj Barua said Suman had taken Tazmin in his CNG-run autorickshaw, promising to take her from Paduar Bazar to the Racecourse area for Tk 300. Instead, he took a shortcut route towards Chandpur Road before driving through Laksham upazila and Lalmai-Bagmara to an isolated road in Jagatpur.
Police said Tazmin gave Suman Tk 100 to buy bananas and bread along the way. After buying the food, he drove to the secluded location, where an altercation reportedly broke out when he attempted to rape her.
According to the police account, the autorickshaw tilted into a paddy field during the struggle. Tazmin tried to flee across the field but was caught near a field embankment. Suman then allegedly raped her and strangled her with a gamchha, pressing his foot against her head to ensure her death, police said.
He allegedly left the autorickshaw at the scene, took an iPhone from Tazmin’s vanity bag and hid it beside a pond in Barpara before travelling to Chattogram.
Pankaj Barua said Suman had admitted to the incident during preliminary questioning. He added that the investigation was continuing and police were preparing to produce the accused before a court in connection with the murder case filed by the victim’s father. Police would seek remand if the accused did not make a confessional statement before the court, he said.
Tazmin was the daughter of Abdul Alim, an employee of pharmaceutical company Renata in the Cumilla region. The family lived in a rented house in the Racecourse area of Cumilla city. She was a student of Farida Bidyayatan School, although school authorities said she had not attended classes since February this year.
Her father filed a murder case with Lalmai Police Station against unidentified accused after her body was recovered. Police later identified her and seized the autorickshaw found near the body.
- MaT
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
