The murder of five-year-old Muntaha Akhtar Zerin, who was discovered dead after being kidnapped in Kanaighat, may have been motivated by retaliation, according to police and her family.

Police have found evidence linking the child's former home tutor, Shamima Begum Marzia, 25, to the murder, according to Md. Rafiqul Islam, Sylhet's Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime and Operations).

Investigators suspect Marzia's alleged anger over her dismissal as Muntaha’s tutor might have led to the crime, though they are also exploring other possible motives.

Marzia, who had been tutoring Muntaha for a monthly salary of Tk250, was reportedly dismissed from her position about two and a half months ago.

Four people, including three women, have been arrested in connection with the incident.

Muntaha, the youngest of Shamim Ahmad’s five daughters and two sons, was a nursery student at a local madrasa.

She went missing on November 3, prompting her family to file a police complaint after days of fruitless searching.

A week later, neighbour Alifjan Bibi was allegedly caught attempting to dispose of the child’s body in a pond.

Following the discovery, locals set Marzia’s house on fire in a surge of anger.

Muntaha’s father, Shamim Ahmad, said Marzia’s behaviour had led to her dismissal, and he believes this dismissal fuelled her resentment and led to the murder of his daughter.

"I cannot bear this pain," he said. "Everyone has mothers, sisters, and children. They killed my daughter mercilessly."

How Muntaha was murdered
Police believe that on November 3, the day of her disappearance, five-year-old Muntaha was lured by her former tutor, Marzia, and Marzia’s mother, Alifjan Bibi, 54, into their living room.

There, they reportedly silenced Muntaha by covering her mouth with a veil and strangled her with a rope.

Later, they concealed the body in their home before wrapping it in polythene and burying it in a canal drain near the house under the cover of night.

When Muntaha's family questioned Marzia and her relatives, their responses appeared incoherent and evasive, raising suspicion.

Acting on this, police brought Marzia in for questioning on Saturday night and advised Muntaha’s family to monitor Marzia's household closely.

That same night, Alifjan Bibi allegedly attempted to retrieve Muntaha’s body and dispose of it in a nearby pond.

Locals caught Alifjan in the act and immediately alerted the police, who arrived at the scene and arrested her along with her mother, Kutubjan Bibi, 70.

Based on their statements, the police also arrested two others—Islam Uddin, 40, son of deceased Saidur Rahman, and Nazma Begum, 30, wife of Mamun Rashid—for their suspected involvement.

All four suspects have been taken to the court.

Marzia's family lived on land owned by Muntaha’s family
Marzia’s family lived on government land that belonged to Muntaha’s family.

According to local residents, Marzia's mother, Alifjan, was a beggar.

Out of sympathy, Muntaha’s family allowed Alifjan and her daughter, Marzia, to live on a plot next to their house, where they eventually built a home.

This arrangement created a connection between the two families.

Eventually, Marzia was entrusted with tutoring Muntaha.

However, she was dismissed from this role around two-and-a-half months ago due to her misbehaviour, which reportedly left Marzia’s family resentful.

SP visits spot

Sylhet Superintendent of Police Md Mahbubur Rahman visited the scene around 2pm on Sunday, offering comfort to Muntaha’s grieving family and assuring them that the killers would face the highest punishment.

Speaking with journalists, the SP said that police had made every effort to locate Muntaha and reunite her with her family.

The investigation is ongoing to determine who was directly or indirectly involved in the murder, with four individuals already in custody and the remaining suspects to be apprehended soon.

Additional Sylhet SP Rafiqul Islam, ASP Alak Kanti Sharma of Kanaighat Circle, and the police station OC Abdul Awal accompanied the SP during the visit.

How Muntaha disappeared

According to family sources, on November 3 around noon, Muntaha went to play with the neighbouring children at Abdul Wahid’s house.

When Muntaha didn’t return home by the afternoon, her family began searching for her.

Unable to find their daughter, her father, Shamim Ahmed, filed a General Diary (GD) at Kanaighat police station.

Two days later, a police report was submitted.

News of Muntaha’s disappearance quickly spread on social media and was covered widely in the media.

Finally, on Saturday night, her partially decomposed body was found.

Murder case

A murder case has been filed against Alifjan, Marzia, Islam Uddin, and Nazma Begum, who were arrested in connection with the brutal murder of young Muntaha, according to Kanaighat police station OC Abdul Awal. However, Alifjan Bibi was not initially listed as a defendant.

Funeral and burial

After Muntaha’s post-mortem at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College, her body was brought back to her village on Sunday afternoon.

A large crowd gathered, demanding the killers’ execution. Following a namaz-e-janaza, she was buried in the village graveyard.

Muntaha's uncle, Kaisar Ahmed, claimed her former tutor Marzia orchestrated the abduction and murder due to a longstanding enmity, after which the body was buried near the house.

Alifjan was caught by locals attempting to retrieve and dispose of the body early Sunday morning.

Kaisar called for strict punishment of everyone involved.

Sylhet Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime and Ops) Md Rafiqul Islam said that, according to Marzia’s confession, Muntaha was suffocated on the night of November 3, and her body was discarded in a nearby canal.

The police believe Marzia may have acted out of resentment after being dismissed from tutoring.

Both Marzia and her mother, Alifjan, are in custody as the investigation continues to determine if others were involved.

Following Muntaha's disappearance, her photo circulated on social media, with relatives and locals demanding justice for her brutal murder.