<i>Boy tortured by police returned without justice, treatment</i>
Belal shows his injured hands while telling the tale of torture by police.Photo: STAR
A ten-year-old boy, brutally tortured in police custody, was handed over to his parents without any justice and treatment yesterday. Victim's father Md Sarwar and mother Shahinoor had to take their tormented son from police silently. Sub-Inspector (SI) Moniruzzaman of Khulna Sadar Police Station picked up Belal on Tuesday morning from behind a coal tar factory at Gallamari, suspecting his involvement in theft of an iron rod. The SI then took Belal to the room of Officer-in-Charge (OC) SM Kamruzzaman. He handcuffed and blindfolded the boy before giving him electric shock. OC Kamruzzaman was the lone eyewitness to this pathetic incident. Being informed, Coordinator of the Khulna unit of Bangladesh Human Rights Implementation Committee (BHRIC) advocate Mominul Islam rushed to the police station and strongly protested torture on the boy merely on suspicion. SI Moniruzzuman, however, stopped torturing Belal in the face of strong protest by the BHRIC coordinator. “I have seen some deep scars in both hands of the boy. This sort of physical torture in police custody is flagrant violation of human rights,” advocate Mominul said. OC Kamruzzaman denied the allegation of giving electric shock to Belal. He branded the boy as a thief, but could not show any evidence in support of his accusation against Belal. Belal was taken to the shelter home of Aparajeo Bangladesh on Tuesday night. He told newsmen at the shelter home that he had taken an iron rod from outside the coal tar factory to buy bread for appeasing his hunger. Tears were rolling down his cheeks while narrating the harrowing tale of physical torture. Contacted, Sub-Inspector Moniruzzaman said everything was done at the instruction of the officer-in-charge.
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