Biman MD, wife arrested over torture of minor house help

Police arrested Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Dr Md Shafiqur Rahman, his wife and two others on early hours of Monday night in connection with a case filed on charge of torturing their minor house help.

Later, they were produced in a Dhaka Court on Monday and after a hearing Metropolitan Magistrate Razu Ahmed sent the accused to jail.

Sub-Inspector Tahmina Akter, General Register Officer (GRO) for the Women and Children-related cases of Uttara Pashchim Police Satiation, confirmed the update.

A petition placed before the court states that a team of the Pashchim Police Station led by Sub Inspector Rubel Miah, also investigator of the case, arrested the accused at 3.30 am on Monday from their residence at Sector-9 of Uttara.

The two other accused are: Rupali Khatun and Sufia Begum.

Earlier, the house help's father Golam Mostafa filed the case on Sunday (February 1).

According to the case statement, the house help who had been employed at the Biman MD's residence and was allegedly subjected to physical abuse over an extended period.

Mostafa sent his daughter to work at the house in June last year after being promised that all her expenses, including those related to her marriage, would be borne.

He last visited the house on November 2 last year.

After that visit, the girl was not allowed to see or contact her family, according to the complaints.

It further states that on January 31, Ms. Bithi called Mostafa and informed him that his daughter was ill. He was asked to take her back immediately.

Golam Mostafa went to retrieve his daughter, and Bithi handed her over to him at around 7:00 pm on that day.

Mostafa stated in the case that he noticed serious injuries on various parts of her body, including her hands, and that his daughter was barely able to speak.

When he asked about the injuries, Ms Bithi allegedly failed to provide satisfactory explanations.

Mostafa then admitted his daughter to Gazipur Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Medical College Hospital. The girl later told him that she had been tortured on multiple occasions at the house, also alleging that she was beaten and forced to rub her body with heated sticks.

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