A seven-year-old girl from Rangamati has been placed in a government shelter after her mother, reportedly facing extreme poverty, was accused of trying to sell her at Banarupa market last week.

Rangamati Hill District Council Chairman Kajal Talukder met with the mother and, with her consent, arranged for the child to be admitted to the government-managed Shishu Paribar under the Department of Social Services.

Deputy Director of the district’s Social Services office, Mohammad Omar Faruq, said the girl will now live in the shelter, attend school, and have her needs met through joint efforts of the council and the department. He added that the council will also finance medical care for the mother, who is seriously ill.

The incident reportedly occurred on August 8. Locals at the market intervened, and news quickly spread on social media.