Minor house help falls off building while trying to escape

A minor house help was injured after falling from the sixth floor of a 13-storey building in Dhanmondi while he and another house help were trying to escape torture by their employers, said police.

Injured Sharif and another house help Swapan -- both 11-year-old -- were trying to escape from the house of one Golam Kibria, owner of a brick kiln in Noakhali, through a small bathroom ventilator around 9:45am, said Kajal Mia, senior station officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence in Mohammadpur.

They tried to climb down using a rope, the official said. While doing so, Sharif slipped and fell on the ground and Swapan got stuck on the window sun-shade on the fifth floor, he added quoting witnesses.

Locals rescued Sharif and took him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Firefighters reached the spot around 10:30am and rescued Swapan, who remained stuck on the sunset for around 30 minutes.

Sharif’s left leg was broken and he got hurt in the head while Shwapan sustained minor injuries, Kajal Mia said. Police took Swapan into custody.

Kibria, his wife and two children have been living in the apartment for around six years, said Jahidul Islam, manager of the building.

Talking to this correspondent at DMCH, Sharif alleged that the family members used to keep them confined to the house and often tortured them.

Both hailing from Noakhali, Swapan worked at the house for over a year while Sharif started working from this month.

When asked, Kibria’s driver Khairul Islam said the two boys were not allowed to go outside without the family’s permission. He did not provide any other information.

Police detained five members of the family, including Kibria and his wife, for interrogation, said Abdul Latif, officer-in-charge of Dhanmondi Police Station.

The incident also angered many locals in the area who threw brickbats at police van while it was taking the family members to the police station, said Jahidul Islam. Afterwards, they chanted slogans and demanded justice for the two boys, he added.