Police in Bangladesh have arrested a textile factory official in connection with the murder of a ten-year-old boy, who was killed while working at the site.
Sagar Barman died in hospital in Narayanganj, on the outskirts of Dhaka, after workers inserted a high-pressure nozzle into his rectum and activated it, the Dhaka Tribune reports.
His father, who also works at the factory, found the boy "lying beside a compressor machine with his abdomen swollen", police told Reuters.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
One official at the spinning mill has been arrested. Workers are still being questioned about the brutal attack, officers told the BBC. No motive has been given.
Thirteen-year-old Rakib Hawlader was killed in the same way at a vehicle workshop in Bangladesh last year in retaliation for leaving his job. Two men were sentenced to death for the murder.
Child labour remains common in Bangladesh and poses serious dangers and risks, says Unicef. Although the legal age of employment is 14, the vast majority of children work informally, making the enforcement of labour laws "virtually impossible", the charity says.
"Long hours, low or no wages, poor food, isolation and hazards in the working environment can severely affect children's physical and mental health," Unicef warns. "Child labourers are also vulnerable to other abuses such as racial discrimination, mistreatment and sexual abuse."
-
The ‘ravenous’ demand for Cornish mineralsUnder the Radar Growing need for critical minerals to power tech has intensified ‘appetite’ for lithium, which could be a ‘huge boon’ for local economy
-
Why are election experts taking Trump’s midterm threats seriously?IN THE SPOTLIGHT As the president muses about polling place deployments and a centralized electoral system aimed at one-party control, lawmakers are taking this administration at its word
-
‘Restaurateurs have become millionaires’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Epstein files topple law CEO, roil UK governmentSpeed Read Peter Mandelson, Britain’s former ambassador to the US, is caught up in the scandal
-
Iran and US prepare to meet after skirmishesSpeed Read The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East
-
Israel retrieves final hostage’s body from GazaSpeed Read The 24-year-old police officer was killed during the initial Hamas attack
-
China’s Xi targets top general in growing purgeSpeed Read Zhang Youxia is being investigated over ‘grave violations’ of the law
-
Panama and Canada are negotiating over a crucial copper mineIn the Spotlight Panama is set to make a final decision on the mine this summer
-
Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
-
Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
-
US nabs ‘shadow’ tanker claimed by RussiaSpeed Read The ship was one of two vessels seized by the US military
