Police in Bangladesh have charged the cricketer Shahadat Hossain and his wife with torturing their former domestic servant, an 11-year-old girl.
Shahadat Hossain after he surrendered to police in Dhaka. Photo: AFP
If found guilty, the couple may face lengthy jail terms. They are currently on bail and deny charges of employing and assaulting a minor.
The police charge sheet submitted to the court in Dhaka accuses the couple of physically torturing the child.
Bangladesh's Cricket Board has already suspended the medium-fast bowler.
The case is to be heard on 12 January.
The girl, Mahfuza Akhter Happy, was found in a Dhaka street in September with multiple injuries, including a broken leg and a black eye.
She told police that she had been working for the couple for a year and that they had beaten and tortured her.
The charges have been brought under legislation designed to protect women and children from domestic abuse.
Shahadat Hossain during a cricket test against Pakistan earlier this year. Photo: AFP
If convicted, the cricketer and his wife, Jasmine Jahan Nritto Shahadat, could face jail terms of between seven and 14 years, plus a fine.
Hossain handed himself in on 5 October.
He initially went to police on 6 September claiming that his maid had gone missing.
- BBC
