An eight-year-old girl went missing after being reportedly dragged into a pond by a crocodile at the Khan Jahan Ali shrine in Bagerhat Sadar Upazila on Monday night.

Local people said that the girl entered the women’s bathing ghat of the shrine pond for bathing at about 8:30pm when a crocodile attacked her and grabbed her leg before pulling her into the water.

Local people immediately launched a search operation using boats, but the child remained missing.

The missing child was identified as Fatema Akter. Local people said that she used to live in the shrine area with her mother, who is mentally challenged.

Eyewitness Alam Hossain said that he and his friends were visiting the shrine when they suddenly heard screams and rushed to the pond ghat, but the crocodile had already pulled the child into the water.

Shrine caretaker Fakir Tariqul Islam said the girl went to bathe when the crocodile attacked her and dragged her into the water.

Bagerhat deputy commissioner Golam Md Baten said four local teams were conducting search operations with boats, and a Fire Service diving team would join the rescue effort on Tuesday morning.

Superintendent of Police Hasan Mohammad Naser Rikabdar said efforts were underway to rescue the child, adding that security measures around the shrine will be strengthened and bathing in the pond may be restricted.

Local lawmaker Shaikh Monzurul Haque Rahad said steps would be taken to ensure protection of the pond area, noting that several similar incidents had occurred in the past.