A seven-year-old girl is fighting for her life at Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) after unidentified miscreants allegedly kidnapped her and slit her throat at the Sitakunda Eco Park on Sunday afternoon.

The victim was rescued in critical condition from a remote hill within the park, nearly eight kms from her home. Local workers found her severely injured and rushed her for treatment.

Her father, Manirul Islam said she had left home around 9:30 am on Sunday to visit her grandmother at her uncle’s house, a commute she made almost daily.

“We weren’t worried because the distance is barely half a km. We realised something was wrong when my brother saw a picture of her on social media around 3:00 pm,” he told The Daily Star.

Family members believe she was abducted and taken to the secluded hilltop by miscreants who intended to murder her.

Her paternal uncle, Ramij Uddin, said it would have been impossible for a child to travel such a distance alone and insisted she had been kidnapped. He added that the family had no known enemies.

“We don’t know what will happen to my niece. How can anyone be so cruel as to try to slaughter a child? We want justice and the immediate arrest and punishment of those responsible,” Ramij said.

The victim underwent an emergency operation last evening. She was taken to the operation theatre again this morning for a second surgery to stabilise her respiratory tract, while anxious family members waited outside.

Dr Selim Kashem Chowdhury, an ENT consultant at CMCH, said the girl’s trachea was severely injured in the attack but noted that she was rescued within half an hour.

Doctors performed a standard tracheostomy and installed a tube to assist her breathing.

“As long as the tube is there, she will be unable to speak. We hope to remove it in two to three weeks, depending on her recovery,” he added.

Law enforcement agencies, including police and the Rapid Action Battalion, have launched investigations into the incident.

Sitakunda Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mahi Noor-e-Islam said a case was filed on Sunday by the victim’s mother, Rokaya Begum, against unidentified individuals.

“We are investigating the matter with the highest priority, though no arrests have been made as of Monday afternoon,” the OC said.

Sources within Rab-7 said they are also conducting a shadow investigation to determine the motive behind the attack.