24 child labourers rescued from captivity in Cox’s Bazar brickfield

Published : February 17, 2012 :: 10:02:01 [ 2,110 views ]

24 child labourers rescued from captivity in Cox’s Bazar brickfield

Cox's Bazar : Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel rescued 24 child labourers from captivity in a brickfield where they were engaged in work against their will at Banglabazar in the town Thursday morning.

Three people including the owner of the brick field were arrested in this connection. They are-Abdus Shukkur,67,owner of brick field, its manager Shamsul Alam,45 and Joynal, 25,of Jamalpur district who supplied labourers to the brick field.

RAB-& Cox’s Bazar camp in-charge captain Sirajul Islam said acting on secret information they launched a drive at BSC brick field and rescued the children from a locked room. The children were tortured and forced to work in the brick field, he said.

The rescued children are-Jahedul,10, Monohar,12, Arif,12, Khairul,16, Jahangir,18, Shamim,11, Rashdul,18, Sujan,17, Rafiq,18, Milon,19,Lal Miah,7, Billu,18, Babul,16, Rafiqul,9, Masud,18, Rabiul,17, Mizan,17, Shamim,14, Al Amin,14, Sohel,17, Rubel,10, Anwar,17, Shakil,9 and Shamim,12. All hail from different upazilas of Jamalpur district.

The victims said Joynal and Idris (fugitive) brought 30 children to the brick field in November 2011. They kept them confined to a room and compel them to work the whole day under their guard.

They said some youths including the son of the owner of the brick field tortured them regularly. Among them, six children managed to flee, they said.

Abdus Shukkur Joynal and Idris brought the children for work for three months taking Tk 6 lakh from him and he denied the allegations of torture on them.

RAB captain Sirajul Islam said the arrested people were handed over to Ramu thana police and the children were kept under police custody.

Report by : The Bangladesh Today