An eight-year-old child who was raped in Bangladesh has died of her injuries, setting off intense protests around the country.
The girl was raped while visiting her elder sister’s house in the city of Magura between the night of 5 March and the following morning, according to a case filed by her mother.
The elder sister’s 18-year-old husband, along with his parents and brother, were arrested and placed on remand.
After hearing news of the child’s death, an angry mob descended on the house where the incident is alleged to have taken place, setting it on fire.
The girl died at about 13:00 local time (07:00 GMT) on Thursday after suffering three cardiac arrests, according to a statement by the government’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) department.
She had spent six days in a critical condition at the Combined Military Hospital in the capital Dhaka, after being admitted on 8 March.
The girl’s body was taken back to Magura in an army helicopter, which landed at the local stadium around 18:00 to Intense protests.
Aiyub Ali, officer-in-charge of Magura Sadar Police Station, said that authorities struggled to bring the situation under control, according to local news .
Thousands of people gathered in the public square in Magura for the girl’s namaz-e-janaza, the Islamic funeral prayer, before she was laid to rest at 19:30.
An absentee funeral was also held for the girl at Dhaka University, in the nation’s capital, followed by a protest march and speeches by female students.
