A seven-month-old baby was killed after falling from his mother’s lap when a mugger tried to snatch her purse at Doyaganj in Dhaka yesterday. The deceased infant was identified as Arafat, the son of Aklima and Shah Alam Gazi from Shariatpur Sadar upazila. Bachchu Mia, sub-inspector at the Dhaka Medical police outpost, said the incident occurred when Aklima along with her infant was going from Sadarghat to Shanirakhra on a rickshaw in the morning. A mugger attempted to snatch her purse near the Doyaganj railway line. She could not control herself and the baby fell from her lap, receiving injuries on the head and nose.

Aklima rushed the baby to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, but the duty doctor declared Arafat dead. Aklima told reporters in the hospital that

she and her husband had come to Dhaka for the treatment of their two-year-old son Alamin, who was ailing for some days. While her husband went to Shyamoli’s Children Hospital with Alamin, Aklima along with Arafat left for her sister Maksuda’s home. On the way, she was attacked by the mugger.

The officer-in-charge of Gendaria police station, Mizanur Rahman, said police have received the news of the baby’s death. “The matter is being investigated,” he added. Contacted, the deputy commissioner (media) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Masudur Rahman, said:  “We haven’t taken any additional steps to curb muggers and snatchers. The previous measures will continue in this regard.”