The supervisor-in-charge of Gazipur Juvenile Development Centre, Anwarul Kabir, has been suspended for negligence of duty and alleged mismanagement.
Gazipur Additional Deputy Commissioner (general) Shahnawaz Dilruba Khan told the Dhaka Tribune: “An order was issued from the Social Welfare Department in this regard on Thursday night.”
The suspension order came on the same day the High Court formed a committee to probe the allegations of abuse and mismanagement at the correction centre, where 20 teenage boys engaged in self-mutilation in protest.
The juveniles of the correction home had been calling for the removal of acting supervisor Anwarul Kabir citing the torture of inmates. The juveniles, aged between 14 and 18, cut their foreheads, arms and wrists on Tuesday night, reportedly to press home their demand.
Visiting the centre on Thursday afternoon, Shanawaz Dilruba Khan, quoted the teenagers as saying the supervisor, who joined the centre two months ago after completing training in India, physically and mentally tortured the juveniles for minor infractions such as wearing lungi instead of pants at the school assembly.
Dilruba also said the juveniles hoped to get the attention of higher authorities.
Admitting that acting supervisor Kabir had carried out torture, Dilruba said the higher authorities would transfer the supervisor.
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) member Kazi Riazul Haque also visited the juvenile correction centre, where the teenagers told him that the self-harming was done to protest the misbehaviour and physical oppression against them.
After the inspection, the NHRC member asked the social welfare secretary to take effective action in this regard.
Md Nurul Islam, deputy commissioner of Gazipur and police super Md Abdul Baten visited the juvenile correction centre at 11:45 pm and talked to the teenagers , our correspondent reports.
They will submit a report within seven working days to the authorities.