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A seven-year-old child was allegedly tortured and left by the roadside with his eyes sealed with adhesive in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka.
Passers-by rescued the child Md Wahed from near a park by the Banshi River on Saturday and took him to hospital, said SI Mustakim Billah of Savar Model Police Station.
Witnesses described a harrowing scene where the child was found writhing in pain, screaming, "Save me, I can't see anything."
Shirina Akter, a pedestrian who rushed the boy to the Savar Upazila Health Complex, said his body bore marks of a brutal beating, and his eyelids were stuck fast with adhesive, with blood and water oozing from the corners.
Doctors at the health complex described his condition as critical.
"The presence of chemical adhesive inside the eyes poses a severe risk of permanent vision loss," said Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Md Touhid Al Hasan.
Wahed has since been transferred to a specialised facility in Dhaka for advanced treatment.
From his hospital bed, the boy named his brother-in-law Razzak as the assailant.
He claimed Razzak lured him away on the pretext of a walk before turning violent and abandoning him by the roadside after gluing his eyes shut.
The victim’s mother Shahida Begum, a garment worker, said Razzak had taken the boy from their home in the Bhagalpur neighbourhood.
"I don't know why he did this to my son," she told bdnews24.com.
Savar Model Police Sub-Inspector Mustakim Billah confirmed the primary details of the assault.
"The incident occurred within the jurisdiction of Dhamrai Police Station, and we have alerted the relevant authorities. The suspect Razzak has gone into hiding and his mobile phone is switched off," he said.
Police said a formal case will be initiated once the family submits a written complaint.