Locals, police clash in Banasree over death of domestic help

Residents have clashed with police and torched at least one car at Dhaka's Banasree after a female domestic help was found dead at her employer's house.

The agitators, alleging the woman, 25-year-old Laili Begum, was murdered, also attacked the seven-storey building in Block-G on Friday afternoon.

They have laid a siege to the building since then. The car that was torched was parked in front of it, police said.

Violence erupted after police had tried to disperse the agitated crowd, leading to running battles in phases. Police also fired teargas shells at the angry mob at one point.

Amidst the clash, the police have detained the building's owner and Begum's employer Munsi Moinuddin and the security guard.

Earlier in the morning, Aktar was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where the doctors declared her dead.

Moinuddin has told the police that Begum had locked herself inside a room of his home after coming to work in the morning. As she did not respond to calls, the door was broken down and her body was found hanging from the ceiling fan, he claimed.

DMCH police outpost's Sub-Inspector Md Bachchu Mia told bdnews24.com that there were black bruises on Begum's throat, but no other wounds on her body.

But the locals gathered in front of the building and started hurling brickbats at it after rumour spread that she had been hacked to death. They had also attempted to break down the main gate.

A woman, identifying herself as Ruby, told bdnews24.com that she had worked as the house help in Moinuddin's home.

She alleged that Moinuddin did not pay her wages of three months.

Several women gathered at the scene also made similar allegations. They accused Moinuddin and his wife of physically assaulting their domestic helps on many occasions.

They alleged that Begum was murdered and now her death was being publicised as a suicide.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Motijheel division Deputy Commissioner Md Anwar Hossain said they could not say anything with certainty before the body is autopsied.

He, however, said the matter will be investigated and legal action will be taken if anyone is found responsible for Begum's death.

The clash, however, ended around 6pm, but hundreds of people were still gathered on the street in front of the building at Banasree.

Many told bdnews24.com that the building owner and his wife have always had a bad reputation when it came to treating the domestic help.

They alleged that no domestic help works in that house for long. The family torture and threaten the domestic helps in many ways and fire them after several months without paying up wages.

Fire Service control room official Mizanur Rahman said two fire-fighting units had gone to Banasree after getting the news of a car being torched. But the agitated locals had briefly stopped them from putting the fire out.