Bizarre cruelty on minor boy in Joypurhat

Setting yet another example of brutal treatment on children, eyebrow of a minor boy was shaved off and his hair cut in a deformed shape as 'punishment' for refusing to work at a restaurant in Akkelpur upazila of Joypurhat district on Saturday night.

Police arrested three alleged perpetrators -- Abdul Motin, owner of Mega Hotel and Restaurant, his employee Md Rubel and barber Sumon Mia of Akkelpur Bazaar [near College Mosque area] in the upazila the same night and sent them to jail through a court yesterday.

The victim boy is Sahat Ali, 10, son of Shahar Ali of Sagidarpara village on the bank of Tulshiganga River in Akkelpur upazila.

Sahat earlier worked as an employee of Mega Hotel and Restaurant, but he left the job a month ago.

Rubel, an employee of the hotel, caught the boy while he was walking past it at around 8:00pm on Saturday.

They kept him confined to the hotel and pressed him to agree to work there again but the boy declined.

Then Rubel and hotel owner Abdul Motin took him to a nearby barber's shop, had his eyebrows shaved and hear cut in an ugly way before releasing him.  

As the boy returned home and told his parents of the matter, they went to the hotel and sternly asked the hotelier about the matter but the latter threatened them of dire consequences.

Informed of the incident, police arrested Motin, Rubel and Sumon around 9:00pm Saturday.

Sahar Ali later filed a case accusing four people, said police.

"Physical or mental torture on children is a serious offence. Police arrested the three people on charge of cutting the hair and eyebrow of the minor boy. Another accused went into hiding after the incident," said Ashraful Islam, officer in charge of Akkelpur police station.

Sahar Ali demanded punishment of the torturers of his son.

Hotelier Abdul Motin claimed that he was not involved with the incident.