A four-year-old girl, Tabassum, was allegedly raped and suffocated to death in Kaliganj, Jhenaidah, authorities said Friday. The prime suspect, Abu Taher, has confessed to the crime after being arrested.

Mahfuzur Rahman, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Jhenaidah Sadar Circle, said Abu Taher was apprehended around midnight on Thursday from his brother’s rented flat in Kushtia city. The suspect, a resident of Farashpur village in Kaliganj and son of the late Shafi Uddin, admitted to committing both the rape and murder of Tabassum.

Following the incident, local residents held protests and human chains demanding justice and the death penalty for Abu Taher. Hundreds took part in the demonstration after Jumma prayers at Barobazar on Friday afternoon.

OC of Kaliganj Police Station, Jellal Hossain, said the suspect, Abu Taher, worked as a sales representative for a cigarette company and was reportedly addicted to drugs. He rented a house near Tabassum’s family home in Badedihi village. On the day of the incident, he tempted the child indoors with chips and juice.

The OC added that Abu Taher subjected Tabassum to brutal physical assault. When she cried, he allegedly covered her mouth with a lungi, causing her to suffocate. Later, he placed her body in a sack and hid it in the septic tank of Abdul Jabbar Secondary School nearby.

Tabassum’s body was recovered Thursday morning from the school’s septic tank. She had been reported missing around 2:00 pm on Wednesday.

The victim’s family lived in a rented house in Badedihi, Barobazar area. Her father, Nazrul Islam, works at a local tailor shop, while her mother, Halima Khatun, is employed with a private development organization, Web Foundation.