A Dhaka court on Monday sent Biman Bangladesh Airlines Managing Director and CEO Shafiqur Rahman, his wife Bithi, and two house help to jail over the torture of an 11-year-old house help.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Raju Ahmed rejected their bail petitions, sending the accused — including the house help — to prison, confirmed SI Tahmina Akhter of the prosecution department.
The four were arrested late Sunday night in Uttara and produced before the court by SI Roman Mia of Uttara West Police Station, who sought their detention.
Defense lawyer Advocate Zakir Hossain argued that Shafiqur, a government official, was rarely at home, and neither he nor his ailing wife was involved. He added that the victim had been returned to her family in good condition and the accused were unaware of any abuse.
Opposing bail, the state prosecutor said the girl, forced to work due to extreme poverty, had been routinely tortured since joining the household, leaving her in critical condition.
According to the victim’s father, hotel worker Golam Mostafa, she began working at the household in June last year after the accused promised to cover all expenses, including her future marriage. Mostafa last saw her in good health on November 2, after which he was barred from visiting.
On January 31, one of the house helps asked the victim’s family to take her back, claiming she was ill. That evening, the girl was found with severe injuries on her hands and body and was admitted to Gazipur Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital.
While receiving treatment, the victim told doctors she had been regularly beaten over minor issues since November and alleged that her body had been burned in multiple places with a red-hot metal ladle, leaving severe injuries.
