Cricketer Shahadat Hossain, wife charged for torturing underage house help

National cricketer Shahadat Hossain and his wife have been charged for torturing their underage house help.

Police have submitted the chargesheet, which accuses the couple of physical torture, to the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

The chargesheet will be presented before the court on Jan 12, the day set for the hearing of the case, Court police’s Sub Inspector Jahangir Hossain told bdnews24.com.

The couple have been booked under Section 4 (ii) b of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act which stipulates prison terms between seven and 14 years and a fine of maximum Tk 50,000 as punishment.

In September this year, Hossain filed a police complaint claiming his house help had gone missing.

But several hours later, the 11-year-old girl surfaced to accuse the cricketer and his wife of regular torture.

Police said one Khandkar Mozzamel Haque found the girl at Mirpur and took her to the local police.

Haque later filed the case. Hossain and his wife absconded until police arrested the pace bowler’s wife on Oct 4.

The next day, Hossain surrendered to the court of the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate, which rejected his bail plea and sent him to prison.

On Dec 1, the same court granted bail to his wife until Jan 12.

Hossain then moved to the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge for bail, but was turned down.

On Dec 8, the High Court granted him bail until Mar 31, 2016.