Teen househelp ‘kills herself’ after employer publicly beats her over ‘theft’

Police say neighbours reportedly filmed the incident, in which she was allegedly tied to a pillar

A 14-year-old girl in Pabna’s Chatmohar Upazila has allegedly died by suicide after being tied to a pillar and publicly beaten by her employer over the alleged theft of Tk 120.

The victim, identified only as Srabonti, had worked as a domestic worker at the home of Hannan Mollah, 45, in Chinabhatkur village for the past year.

Police recovered her body on Friday afternoon after she reportedly died by suicide following the humiliation of the assault.

According to local witnesses and police, the ordeal began on Friday morning when Hannan and his wife Rubiya Khatun noticed Tk 120 missing from a drawer, and immediately accused Srabonti of the theft.

To extract a confession, the couple allegedly tied the teenager’s hands to a pillar on their veranda and beat her severely with a stick.

During the assault, some neighbours reportedly filmed the incident on their mobile phones, further compounding the girl’s public shaming.

"If my niece had stolen anything, they could have informed her parents," said Sifat Hossain, Srabonti’s uncle.

"Instead, they beat her like an animal in front of everyone. She couldn't bear the insult."

After being untied, a devastated Srabonti returned to her family home.

Later that day, her parents -- both day labourers -- returned from work to find their daughter’s body hanging from a ceiling beam.

Chatmohar Police chief Golam Mostafa confirmed that police have detained Hannan in connection with the torture.

The decision not to immediately detain his wife has sparked anger among locals, who insist she was an equal participant in the abuse.

"Our preliminary investigation has found clear evidence of physical torture," Mostafa told bdnews24.com.

"The body has been sent for a postmortem, and the process of filing a formal case is under way."