Police arrested a man on Saturday afternoon over the rape and murder of a 10-year-old girl in Sirajdikhan upazila of Munshiganj, just hours after the incident.

The suspect, Raja Mia, 35, is the step-maternal uncle of the victim, according to police and family members.

Locals said Raja, son of the late Akbar Hawladar from Morelganj upazila in Khulna, had been living with the victim’s family for nearly six years.

The victim was the daughter of a migrant worker residing in Qatar, they added.

Abdul Hannan, officer-in-charge (OC) of Sirajdikhan Police Station, said family members found the child lying unconscious on a bed inside their house around 4:00pm and informed police.

A police team later recovered the body and sent it to Munshiganj General Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Police detained Raja Mia from the spot due to his suspicious behaviour, said the OC.

OC Hannan added that initial investigation suggests the child was strangled to death after being raped. During primary interrogation, the detainee admitted to committing the crime.

Meanwhile, the victim’s mother, Nazma Begum, filed a case against Raja with the police station in this regard on Saturday night.