A Dhaka court has granted a four-day remand against The Daily Star’s Executive Editor Ashfaqul Haque and his wife Tania Khondoker in a case filed over the death of their house help.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Saifur Rahman passed the order today (13 February).
On 6 February, Preeti Urang, 15, from Moulvibazar, died after falling from the flat of Ashfaqul Haque.
Her father Lokesh Urang, a tea worker in Mirtinga, filed a case against Syed Ashfaqul Haque and his wife Tania Khondoker the next day, leading to the couple's incarceration.
Addressing The Daily Star’s executive editor Syed Ashfaqul Haque and his wife Tania Khandkar, the judge said, "You have turned your home into a death trap, just a death trap. It could have happened to your own sons and daughters.”
“You cannot shirk the responsibility for the incident happening repeatedly,” the judge observed.
Earlier on 6 August, a similar incident occurred at Ashfaqul Haque's residence. A 9-year-old child domestic worker was severely injured after falling from their ninth-floor flat.
The child's mother lodged a case against Ashfakul Haque, his wife Tania Haque, and another woman named Shilpi at the Mohammadpur police station, alleging torture in connection with the incident. That case is still ongoing.
