Ex-Biman chief Shafiqur, wife to be interrogated over ‘child abuse’

The couple will be interrogated alongside their two domestic aides, Rupali and Sufia

Police have secured five days to question former Biman Bangladesh Airlines managing director and CEO Shafiqur Rahman and his domestic worker Rupali Khatun in a case filed over the alleged abuse of a child domestic worker.

Shafiqur’s wife, known only as Bithi, will be grilled for seven days, and another domestic worker, Sufia Begum, for six days.

Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Zakir Hossain issued the order on Tuesday following a hearing.

Investigating officer Sub-inspector Rubel Mia of Uttara West Police Station had sought to interrogate each suspect for seven days.

Several lawyers, including Fahmida Akter Rinky of the One Stop Crisis Centre at Dhaka Medical College, argued in favour of granting the maximum remand.

Defence lawyer AK Azad sought cancellation of the remand plea and filed for bail on behalf of the suspects.

The case was filed on Feb 1 by Golam Mostafa, the child’s father and a hotel worker.

He named Shafiqur, Bithi and their two domestic workers Rupali Sufia as suspects in the abuse of his daughter, who was a domestic worker at Shafiqur’s house.