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

Locals said the girl entered the women’s bathing ghat of the shrine pond for bathing around 8.30 pm when a crocodile attacked her and grabbed her leg before pulling her into the water.

Locals immediately launched a search operation using boats, but the child remained missing till filing of this report around 12:45am on Tuesday.

The missing child was identified as Fatema Akter. Locals said she lived in the shrine area with her mother, who is mentally challenged.

Eyewitness Alam Hossain said 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 if the child is not found at night, a Fire Service diving team will 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 MP Shaikh Monzurul Haque Rahad said steps will be taken to ensure protection of the pond area, noting that several similar incidents had occurred in the past.