Forced into begging, 6 minors rescued in Habiganj

Police rescued six Kishoreganj minor boys here on Monday as they were forced into begging, UNB reports.

The law enforcers also arrested a man in this connection.

Habiganj police super Joydeb Kumar Bhadra disclosed this at a press briefing at his office on Tuesday.

The rescued boys are Sohad, 10, Jewel, 11, Junayed, 16, Nayem, 9, Rezaul, 12, and Buruj Miah, 13. They hail from different villages of Tarail upazila in Kishoreganj district.

The police super said Shahid Miah, 40, and Imran, 35, of Sekendarnagar village in Tarail upazila took the six boys to Shayestaganj in Sadar upazila from different villages of Tarail upazila one year back promising to get them admitted to a madrasah here.

However, the duo kept the boys confined to a residential hotel – SR Hotel - in Natun Bridge area of Shayestaganj and forced them into begging.

Joydeb said the culprits used to drop the boys, draped in madrasah uniform, each to a certain area in the morning every day and forced them to seek alms to others.

At the end of the day, they used to pick the boys up and take them to the residential hotel again.

They also used to beat the minors if anyone failed to collect desired amount of alms, said the SP.

When three boys -- Sohad, Jewel and Junayed -– went to Kalutola village in Bahubal upazila on Monday morning, a local man caught them on suspicion and informed police.

According to information provided by the boys, police conducted a drive at the SR Hotel on Monday night and rescued the three other boys.

During the drive, they also arrested hotel manager Russell, 25.

A case was filed against four people with Bahubal Police Station in this connection, the police super added.