The administration has suspended a staff of a government orphanage in Barisal for beating two children at the institution.
Barisal Deputy Commissioner Dr Gazi Md Saifuzzaman said the orphanage’s Compounder Md Dulal was suspended as per verbal order of the director general of social welfare directorate.
A five-member probe committee has been formed to investigate the incident. The committee has been asked to submit the report within three working days.
Though the incident occurred on Saturday, it drew public attention after the video goes viral on social media.
Orphanage sources said victims Akhi, daughter of Taslima Begum, from Tajkathi in Sadar upazila, and Dalia, daughter of Bilkis Begum, from Vuterdia in Babuganj upazila, got sheltered in “Sorkari Shisu Sadan” in Sagardighi area in the city several months ago.
On Saturday, the girls, both aged around 9, tried to flee the orphanage that is especially for girls and the authorities run a search drive for them.
After finding them, the orphanage’s Compounder Md Dulal beat up Akhi and Dalia with a stick mercilessly. At one stage, one of the onlookers filmed the incident in his cellphone and circulated it in facebook from where it spread to other social media.
When contacted, Md Dulal acknowledged the allegation, saying he beat up the girls lightly as per the order from the orphanage in-charge though he was not responsible for ensuring security or punishing the orphans.
Ismat Ara, in-charge of the orphanage, denied the allegation brought against her and said some disciplinary actions are applied on the orphan girls to maintain rules and regulations there.
Dulal was just asked to find out the fleeing girls because of having manpower shortage there, she continued.
Barisal Deputy Commissioner Dr Gazi Md Saifuzzaman said he visited the orphanage being heard from local journalists and suspended Dulal.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
