Police arrested an 18-year-old youth last night on charges of allegedly attempting to rape a four-year-old girl in Dhaka’s Kamrangirchar area.

“The incident occurred around 8:30pm. Locals reportedly gave the suspect a beating before handing him over to the police,” said Kamrangirchar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Omar Faruq.

“The arrestee is a neighbour of the victim’s family,” he added.

According to the victim’s father, the 18-year-old lured the child into his rented room with ill intent and attempted to rape her. When the child began screaming, neighbours rushed to the spot, rescued her and caught the suspect.

The child’s mother filed a case against the youth, the OC said.

Following the incident, the child was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) at around 11:00pm for primary treatment.

Police said she would be taken back to the hospital for further medical examinations as part of the legal procedure.