TBS report
October 21, 2024 at 09:35
Last modified: October 21, 2024, 09:48
Kalpana’s home workers had four teeth removed. Photo: Collected
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Kalpana’s home workers had four teeth removed. Photo: Collected
A 13-year-old domestic worker was brutally tortured by residents of a house in the capital’s Bashundhara residential area.
She was taken to hospital with four teeth pulled out and her entire body covered with burns and bruises.
On Saturday (October 19) evening, the police entered the house and rescued a child named Kalpana. At that time, 21-year-old Dinat Jahan Ador was arrested on suspicion of torture by a domestic worker. Yesterday (October 20), the court placed her in temporary custody.
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The victim Kalpana is the daughter of Shahid Mia and Afia Begum of Sujan village in Lakhai Upazila of Habiganj State. She is the fifth of five sisters and one brother. He is currently undergoing treatment at the Burns and Plastic Surgery Department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
On the other hand, the arrested Dinat Jahan Ador studied BBA in a private university but dropped out. Her parents live in a separate house in Dhanmondi.
According to the police, on Saturday evening, after receiving information from a private television journalist, they rescued the child from house no. 466 on Road No. 3 in Bashundhara I block.
Bhatara police station in-charge Mazharul Islam said, “Kalpana has burn marks all over her body. She was admitted to the Burns and Plastic Surgery Department of DMCH around 2:30 am.”
According to the commission of inquiry, Afia Begum, the mother of a domestic worker, filed a lawsuit under the Act on Prevention of Repression against Women and Children. The court later granted a request for a one-day detention for Ador.
Afia Begum, the child’s mother, told media outlets at the hospital that her daughter Kalpana has been working at the home for the past five years for a salary of Tk 5,000 per month. Sometimes she would talk to the girl on the homeowner’s phone.
Burns department doctor Md Nasir Uddin told the media, “The burns on the entire body of housewife Kalpana did not occur in one day. She was tortured for a long time. There are deep wounds in many parts of the body. She is missing four front teeth. Many places are infected.
“It may take her about two months to recover. She suffered injuries caused by torture,” the doctor added.
Victim Kalpana Akhtar said housewife Ador beat her for every mistake at work. Two months ago she broke 4 teeth with a wooden toothbrush. Two days ago, she heated a hair straightener and burned her face. She was never allowed to leave the house, even for treatment. She could only eat one meal a day.
On Saturday, Kalpana was sent by car to the doctor to treat the cat at home. There, the doctor saw the injuries on her body and wrote down her home address. He later took the help of journalists and police to save Kalpana.
Meanwhile, National Human Rights Commission chairman Dr Kamal Uddin Ahmed went to the burns and plastic surgery ward of Dhaka Medical Hospital on Sunday to meet Kalpana. He also took responsibility for the girl’s treatment.
He told reporters that many families send their children to work in other people’s homes because of poverty. However, it is unacceptable that they become victims of brutality. The girl was brutally tortured. No one in their right mind can submit to such torture.
“There are five million child and domestic workers in our country. Kalpana has been working for the family for five years and was tortured for four and a half years, but no one knew about it. We don’t know how many more children are tortured.”
He said this is a gross violation of human rights, it’s very unfortunate, it needs to stop.
“We have prepared a draft of the latest law on the safety of domestic workers and submitted it to the ministry. We have repeated many times that the law should be prepared and passed as soon as possible. Because the entire act does not regulate the issue of violence against domestic workers. Strict legal action will be taken against those involved in such cruel behavior,” he added.
