Teenager tortured again after being picked up from market following escape from abuse

A 13-year-old girl in Brahmanbaria's Nasirnagar has been accused of being kept confined at her aunt's house and forced into immoral acts. When she refused, she was allegedly beaten and threatened at various times. At one point, she fled and returned home, but did not escape. Later, she was picked up from the market and kept confined again and tortured. The teenager alleged that she was burnt on various parts of her body with a hot spoon and ladle at that time.

According to local residents, the teenager's relatives, union parishad and police sources, the family had sent the teenager to the house of a distant aunt to work as a housemaid. It is alleged that there, her cousin sister, her husband and another cousin brother and sister together forced her into immoral acts. When she refused, she was subjected to physical torture at various times and threatened.

About 10 to 12 days ago, unable to endure the torture, the teenager fled that house and returned to her own home. When she went to the market on Wednesday evening, she was forcibly picked up and taken to the aunt's house again. There are allegations that she was kept locked in a room with her mouth tied and tortured.

The teenager alleged that at that time, she was burnt on the elbows of both hands and on her back with a hot spoon and ladle. She was also injured on her right leg with a sharp object. Hearing her screams, several people nearby rescued her.

Meanwhile, local residents said the teenager's two uncles sat with the accused on Friday afternoon to settle the matter. There are allegations that the matter was settled for Tk 50,000. Of this, Tk 6,000 was given to the teenager for treatment. There are allegations that her two uncles kept the rest of the money with themselves.

Local resident Abu Bakkar Siddique said the teenager told them about being taken away to work in a household, tortured and forced into immoral acts, and later picked up from the market, confined, beaten and burnt with a hot ladle. The relatives settled the matter for Tk 50,000 and gave the teenager only Tk 6,000.

Abu Bakkar Siddique further said that from Saturday morning until 3pm, local people were at the Union Parishad chairman's office over the matter. However, he alleged that the teenager and her family were not allowed to come there. He also said the accused could not be found in the area.

When asked about the allegations of settlement and taking money, one of the teenager's uncles said the matter had occurred among relatives. "We settled the matter ourselves by sitting together."

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Nasirnagar Police Station Md Shahinul Islam said police have been sent to the scene. However, the victim teenager's family is not willing to file a complaint.