A minor boy has been fighting for his life in Dhaka Medical College Hospital after being allegedly beaten by his master in the house he worked as domestic help in the capital.
The victim was 10-year-old Masum who came to Dhaka from Kishoreganj in search of food and was placed in Mohammadia Housing area two and a half months ago.
In a feeble voice, Masum said he faced excruciating torture from the master and mistress of the house No 208 located on road No 1 in the housing estate area.
“They used to confine me to the bathroom at night and often kicked me in the abdomen. I hardly got food to eat,” Masum said, lying in a bed of 210 No Child Surgery Unit of the hospital.
The minor boy said “Khalamma” (mistress of the house) hit me in the hand with spoons and Iron road for a little mistake.
Only one of the three boys in the family showed me sympathy, Masum said, adding that when he was locked inside the bathroom, he was given food by that boy.
About his physical condition, Dr Shamima Sultana, indoor medical officer and assistant registrar of child surgery unit, told the Dhaka Tribune the boy had been suffering from malnutrition.
Besides, there were some marks of injury to his hands and other parts of his body including head, she added.
Afroza Begum, acting coordinator of One-Stop Crisis Centre of DMCH, said the boy would be receiving treatment till he came round.
“We would go for legal action after the boy recovered from his injury,” she said.
Masum hails from South Rajkunti village of Kishoreganj and is the fifth among eight children of Shohor Banu and Abdur Rahim.
Abdur Rahim – a farmer by profession – sent Masum to the capital with his cousin Yeasmin to earn livelihood.
Asked about how Masum was placed in the house, Yeasmin told the Dhaka Tribune she had contact with some Kishoreganj women who worked in the capital.
“I got my brother the employment in the house through those women,” added Yeasmin.
The girl said she went to the house last Thursday to see her brother but failed, and later she came to know about the torture on her brother, whom she rescued with the help of landlord of the building.
About the identity of employer, Yeasmin said she only knew that “Khalu” (master of the house) used to work in a private firm and had three children.
To delve into the fact, the Dhaka Tribune correspondent approached Mohammadia Housing area and came across master of the house, Shahidul Islam, who was an employee of a buying house, and his wife was Sanjida Islam.
Both of them refused the allegation of torture against them.
They told this correspondent that this was nothing but a drama for realising money from them.
Asked about marks of injury to Masum’s body, the couple said the boy bore the injury marks long since and they did not know anything more about it.
Contacted, Azizul Haque, officer-in-charge of Mohammadpur police station, told the Dhaka Tribune they learned about the incident and action would be taken about it shortly.
No one was arrested and no case was lodged till filing this report on Saturday evening.
