Abdur Rahim | Staff Reporter
Dhaka | March 10, 2026

Sensational new details are now emerging in the mysterious death of 6-year-old Tahedi Akter Tasnim in the capital's Hatirjheel. On February 24, the floating body of the child was recovered from the elevator shaft of an under-construction building in the Ulon area of Paschim Rampura. While the initial inquest report prepared by the Hatirjheel Police Station attempted to pass it off as a 'death by drowning', an independent investigation by Dainik Bartamandin has unearthed terrifying inconsistencies.

Analyzing the statements of the officer who prepared the inquest report and the witnesses present at the scene, a massive disparity is evident between the police's written report and the reality witnessed firsthand.

What Did the Police State in the Inquest Report?
The inquest report prepared by Sub-Inspector (SI) Md. Russel Islam of Hatirjheel Police Station (in the presence of female Constable Mousumi) states that the deceased's head, forehead, face, lips, and neck were 'normal'. The only injury found was an abrasion below the victim's left elbow. In the remarks column of the report, it was written, "It primarily appears to be a death by drowning."

Witnesses' Claim: No Water in the Stomach, Dry Biscuits Stuffed in the Mouth!
Although the police described the face as 'normal' in the inquest report, female witnesses present during the examination of the body provided a horrifying description. Witness No. 1 of the inquest, Nipa Alam, told Dainik Bartamandin, "I personally checked her internally. Her mouth was stuffed with a whole packet of energy biscuits. The biscuits were not wet; they were dry. One side of her cheek was slightly swollen and had a black spot, exactly what happens if someone covers the mouth forcefully. There was a gel-like substance inside her salwar. Additionally, a few days later, a hijab wrapped around a brick was also recovered from the building's water tank."

Another witness, Rehana Begum, said, "There were marks on her left arm and cheek. The most alarming thing was that she had bitten her tongue."

Rocky and Swapon Mia, who were present during the recovery of the body, stated that if the child had drowned, her stomach would have been swollen, and water would have come out of it. However, not a single drop of water came out of her stomach; instead, dry biscuit crumbs were coming out of her nose and mouth.

Another female witness present, Bilkis, said, "I told the police right then, if she fell in the water, her stomach would swell and the biscuits would dissolve. But dry biscuits were coming out of her nose. I suspect she might have been force-fed biscuits and suffocated by covering her mouth."

Police Took Witnesses' Signatures Without Letting Them Read the Report!
Although the inquest report contains the signatures of the witnesses, the investigation reveals that the report was not read out to any of them. Rehana Begum said, "I am an uneducated person; I wasn't allowed to read anything. They just told me to sign, and I did." The deceased child's uncle, Swapon Mia, said, "We were not in the right state of mind at that time. The police said signatures were needed for the case work, so we signed without reading. We do not know what they wrote."

Confronting the Police
When SI Russel Islam, who prepared the inquest report, was contacted over his mobile phone to inquire about these glaring inconsistencies and the witnesses' claims, he hastily replied, "I do not want to say anything about this. The investigation is ongoing, and the case is now with the DB [Detective Branch]. Talk to the DB." Similarly, Hatirjheel Police Station Inspector (Investigation) Sajjad Hossain evaded questions by citing his busy schedule.

Suspicious Role of the Security Guard at the Core of the Mystery!
Severe doubts have arisen regarding the movements and role of the security guard (Md. rasel Mrida) of the under-construction building on the night the body was recovered. According to eyewitnesses Khasru and Rocky, when locals entered the ground floor of the building around 12:30 AM in search of the child, the guard was present there. Eyewitness Rocky stated that the ground floor of the building was covered with a tarpaulin and was completely dark. In that pitch-black darkness, the guard was sitting just a short distance away from the elevator shaft, tying up sacks. Another witness, Khasru, also saw the guard working on the ground floor.

The biggest question here is—what was the guard doing on the dark ground floor of that building late at night? How did a child enter the building and reach the elevator shaft in the presence of the guard? Or, if miscreants murdered the child elsewhere and went there to dump the body, why didn't the on-duty guard notice anything? Or is the guard himself involved in this diabolical incident, or staying silent despite knowing everything?

Was it a death by drowning or an attempt to conceal the body after a premeditated murder? Why did the police hastily prepare such an inconsistent inquest report? What was the security guard of the under-construction building doing at that time? The public is searching for answers to these questions. Meanwhile, the case is currently under investigation by the Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

Dainik Bartamandin's own investigation continues in search of answers to these questions. Our pursuit will go on until the actual truth of this murder is uncovered. If anyone has any information or CCTV footage regarding this incident, we humbly request you to contact us. The identity of the informant will be kept strictly confidential.

(N.B.: All audio records and associated evidence related to this news report are safely preserved by Dainik Bartamandin.)
[Note : The Finance Today and Daily Bortomandin are affiliated organizations]