A star cricketer and his wife will stand trial in March after the couple were indicted on charges of torturing an 11-year-old girl who worked for them as a maid, a top Bangladesh court official said.
Shahadat Hossain and his wife Jesmin Jahan, now free on bail, were present in the crowded courtroom in Dhaka as the judge, Tanzina Islmail, announced the charges against them. The hearing took place Monday in a special court that deals with cases of violence against women and children.
“If proved guilty, the couple may face sentence to jail maximum for 14 years,” public prosecutor of the court Ali Asgar Swapan told CNN in Dhaka.
The charges brought against the couple were for severely torturing the underage girl, the official said.
The couple have pleaded not guilty.
Sensational case
The couple went into hiding after police raided their house in September following a complaint from the girl who was rescued from the house by neighbors.
The couple were arrested and freed on bail but disappeared before turning themselves in in early October.
The girl, Mahfuza Akhter, reported that the couple had physically tortured her and left her on a street.
She described her escape after prolonged suffering that included physical beatings and deprivation.
“I was in a lot of pain, she told CNN. “While I was walking on the road, people were staring at me. I covered my eye because it was bruised and it was hurting.”
Extensive injuries
According to police, the girl had substantial injuries — several parts of her body were dislocated, she had swollen eyes, and was bruised extensively.
The 29-year-old cricketer was suspended from all forms of games over the allegations in September last year. He has played 38 tests, 51 one-day internationals (ODIs) and six T20s for Bangladesh.
The trial is scheduled to begin next month.