<i>Death of young domestic help raises question</i>

Police recovered the body of a domestic help from Sonarai Uttar Musrutpur village under Sadar upazila in Nilphamari while it was being buried 'secretly' on Tuesday.
Police and locals said Selina, 11, daughter of Salimullah, a day labourer, was working as a domestic help at the residence of Alamgir Hossain, assistant director (AD) of Rural Electrification Board (Reb), at its head office in Dhaka for about one year. His wife Delwara Begum is public relations officer of the same office.
Delwara Begum took Selina's body to her village home on December 29 and told her parents and relatives that Selina died of injuries that she sustained after slipping and falling on the floor of their bathroom on December 27. But locals said the body bore injury marks.
They alleged that soon after Delwara's arrival at the deceased's village home Tuesday morning, General Manager (GM) of Reb Nilphamari Zone Rezaullah Khan reached there.
Delwara settled the matter with Selina's parents and agreed to give them Tk 2.5 lakh, locals said, adding that she left for Dhaka, taking a written undertaking from Selina's parents that they would not file any case against her.
When Selina's family was making preparations for her burial at a local graveyard, locals informed the police of the matter. Police rushed to the spot, recovered the body and sent it to Sadar Hospital for autopsy. An unnatural case was filed with Sadar Police Station.
Officer-in-charge (OC) of Sadar Police Station told newsmen that autopsy was done at the hospital yesterday and they would get the report soon.
Contacted, Reb Nilphamari Zone GM Rezaullah Khan said he went to the spot at the request of Alamgir Hossain and Delwara Begum.
“Delwara told me that Selina slipped and fell on the floor of their bathroom and then succumbed to her injuries,” Khan said.
He further said Delwara Begum, in presence of the present and former chairmen of the union parishad concerned, wanted to help the poor parents of their deceased domestic help on humanitarian ground.