8 'modern-day slaves' rescued

Eight workers were tortured in a barbaric manner confining them to a small room at a brick field at Dakkhin Gilatala under Khan Jahan Ali police station in the city.
The horrific incident took place at the brick field owned by local Awami League (AL) leader Akram Hossain, also former chairman of Phultala upazila.
The victims were identified as Nesar Gazi, 55, Tariqul Islam, 30, Nazrul Islam, 50, Hasan Ali, 25, Jasim Uddin, 18, Rafiqul Islam, 30, Iman Ali, 25, and Taleb Gazi, 32.
All of them are residents of Joypur village under Monirampur upazila in Jessore.
The incident of torture came to light when local journalists visited the spot on Tuesday noon.
The workers said they were confined to a dark room and kept almost unfed in the last five days. They broke into tears after seeing the sunlight and getting chance to meet the journalists.
One of the victims, Nazrul Islam, 50, said he along with others have been working in the brick field, M/s Hossain Bricks, at Dakkhin Gilatala, for last one month.
He said the management confined them to a dark room from Friday.
"We had to remain half-fed and sometimes unfed with just one kg of rice, one kg of chira (flattened rice) and half a kg dal (pulse) supplied to us during the confinement. We had to respond to the call of nature by calling the management staff," narrated Nazrul.
The workers were inhumanly oppressed during the cold season, he said.
Brick field manager Akhter Hossain said labour leaders Rafiqul, Majid and Moti took Tk 4 lakh in advance in the name of supplying workers to the brick field.
The workers were confined as they did not work as per agreement. We told them that they would be released if the advance money is returned to the management, he said.
Brick field owner Akram Hossain said that the labour leaders took over Tk 4.34 lakh in the name of supplying workers to the brick field.
They, in phases, brought 33 workers and of them, only eight workers worked while the rest left the field. They were held basically in a bid to realise the money. The matter was brought to the notice of police, said Akram.
The owner, however, denied the allegation of confining them to a small room.
The workers were freed after the visit of the journalists.
Officer in-charge (OC) of Khan Jahan Ali PS Mohammad Humayun Kabir said he did not get any allegation of torture on the workers.
However, he agreed that such incident of torture might take place at brick fields.
“We shall look into the matter if such allegation comes to us,” he added.