Cumilla hotel cook detained for reportedly burning minor employee by pouring hot rice starch

Police today (11 May) detained a hotel cook for reportedly pouring hot rice starch on a minor employee and burning 20% of the minor's body in Chandina upazila of Cumilla.

The accused cook has been identified as Md Kashem Mia (35), son of Md Kader Mia of Nurpur village in Nasirnagar upazila of Brahmanbaria, and the victim has been identified as Md Shafiullah (15), son of Md Aliullah, a farmer hailing from Khiraikandi village in Bhani union of Debidwar upazila of Cumilla.

Kashem was detained by the hotel owners and employees and later handed over to the police.

Chandina Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Jabed ul Islam confirmed to The Business Standard that the cook was taken into custody. "We will take appropriate action if we receive a complaint."

The incident took place at around 3:00pm at an eatery called 'Roni Hotel and Restaurant' at the Purba Bazar in Chandina. 

The hotel's owner Shafiqul Islam said during an argument with Shafiullah while making rice starch in the hotel kitchen, Kashem poured hot rice starch on the boy.

"Hearing the screams, I went there and saw the incident. I immediately sent him to the Chandina Upazila Health Complex. I detained the cook and called the police station," he added.

Safiullah's father, farmer Aliullah, said, "Safiullah is the second of my four children. I sent him to Roni Hotel in Chandina three months ago because he was inattentive to his madrasah studies. If my son had committed a crime, the cook could have complained to the hotel owner or me."

"Why did he punish my son by pouring rice starch on his body like this?" he lamented.

Dr Farzana Akhter, physician at Chandina Upazila Health Complex, said about 20% of Shafiullaj's body was burned.

"After receiving primary treatment, he was sent to Comilla Medical College Hospital."