An eight-year-old girl, who was sexually assaulted in Magura, has shown signs of slight improvement at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka. For the first time, she has fluttered her eyelids, according to Abul Kalam Azad Mazumder, Deputy Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser. Speaking at a press conference on Monday (March 10) at the Foreign Service Academy on Bailey Road, he mentioned that doctors are hopeful about further improvement in the next couple of days.

The interim government has been closely monitoring the child’s condition, and Lieutenant General Hafiz Uddin, Security Adviser to Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus, has been maintaining regular contact with the hospital’s medical team. Doctors reported a slight improvement in her health, noting that her coma level had risen from 3 to 5. Although she remains in critical condition, she has started showing minimal responses. The attempt to suffocate her had caused a drop in oxygen levels, leading to fluid accumulation in her brain, which has not yet been removed. However, trapped air in her chest has been cleared, offering some relief.

The tragic incident occurred on March 6, when the child was visiting her sister’s in-laws in Magura. According to the case filed by her mother, her sister’s father-in-law allegedly committed the assault with the help of his son. Other family members, including the sister’s mother-in-law and brother-in-law, were reportedly aware and later attempted to silence the matter by trying to kill the child.

As her condition worsened, she was initially taken to Faridpur Medical College and later transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital on March 7, where she was placed on life support. On March 8, she was moved to CMH for advanced care. Brigadier General Md. Asaduzzaman Khan, Director of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, confirmed that the child had suffered multiple injuries, further indicating the severity of the assault. Authorities continue their investigation, with the main suspect, Hitu Sheikh, placed on a seven-day remand.