Body recovered from pond beside Rajshahi rally venue identified as 18-year-old Rafsan

The identity of the decomposed body recovered from a pond beside the prime minister's rally venue in Rajshahi has been established. Police say the body is that of a teenager named Rafsan bin Abdullah (18). The pond is located only half a kilometre from the historic Madrasa field, the rally venue.

The body surfaced at around 9am on Tuesday (October 20) in the pond on the southern side of the Shah Makhdum Institute Public Library under Rajpara police station. Police later recovered the body and sent it to the Rajshahi Medical College (RMCH) hospital morgue for an autopsy.

When the body was recovered in the morning, his identity was not known. The identification has now clarified a large part of the picture surrounding the incident.

Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) spokesperson Deputy Commissioner Gaziur Rahman said the deceased Rafsan's home is in the Hoseniganj Betpatti area of the city. His father's name is Abdullah Zaki Rubel.

Police said Rafsan bin Abdullah had been missing since leaving home on Monday (October 19) morning. His body floated up in the pond the following morning.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to address a public rally organised by the metropolitan and district BNP at the field at 3pm on Tuesday as chief guest. The recovery of a body from a pond adjacent to the rally venue on the very day of the rally has created a sensation in the area.

Police said an inquest report was prepared after the body was recovered. No visible injury marks were found on the body. Rafsan was wearing half-pants and had no shirt on. The body had decomposed.

Police's initial suspicion is that Rafsan may have drowned after going into the pond to bathe. According to his family, he did not know how to swim.

However, the actual cause of death has not yet been confirmed. Police say it will be confirmed once the autopsy report is received.

The recovery of a teenager's body from a pond so close to the venue on rally day has raised many questions among local residents, and the incident remains a subject of curiosity and discussion in the area.

After the autopsy, the process of handing the body over to the family will move forward, according to relevant sources. The next step of the investigation now depends on the autopsy report.