<i>Sonia narrates the horrific tale of torture to court </i>
A Rajshahi court on Tuesday recorded statement of housemaid Sonia who was tortured allegedly by her employer at a house at Rajshahi Cantonment last month.
Sonia, 9, daughter of Nobab Ali of Paschim Vatapara village under Godagari upazila, is still undergoing treatment at One Stop Crisis Center at Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital (RMCH).
Sub-Inspector Imaul Haque of Boalia Police Station, also the investigating officer (IO) of the case, took her to the fourth Metropolitan Magistrate's Court where she narrated the horrific torture inflicted on her by her employer Koli, wife of an army officer.
Sonia stated that she was frequently tortured over minor faults, forced to overwork and fed once in two days since she had been employed at one Koli's house for Tk 500 per month in late November.
“Koli used to tear apart hair from my head and recently she forced me to shave off my head to remove the signs of the torn hair,” she told the court.
Sonia said Koli hit her with iron rod, spoon, shoes and bread making roller on February 12 as she used a blanket meant for the use of her employer.
She further said that she was kept confined to a bathroom for three days and given food there.
Magistrate Mamunur Rashid recorded the statement.
On the night of February 15, Sonia was handed over to her parents. She was under the treatment of a village doctor and then admitted to Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital.
Police could not arrest the accused, Koli, wife of Maj Ashfaqur Rahman, till filing of this report yesterday.
Sonia's father Nobab Ali, also plaintiff of the case, told reporters that Koli is now staying at her relative's house outside Rajshahi.
Nobab is under pressure to settle the matter out of the court as the accused is still at large, said Dil Sitara Begum, president of Rajshahi chapter of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association.
Contacted, Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Commissioner M Obaidullah said law enforcers are looking for the accused.
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