Summary:
- A 12-year-old housemaid named Shahnaz was rescued by the Fire Service from the sunshade of a 16th-floor building on Elephant Road, Dhaka, today around noon.
- Shahnaz, originally from Gouripur, Mymensingh, was discovered sitting on an air conditioner unit after being reported missing earlier in the morning.
- The family employing her claimed she has mental health issues, and police confirmed no signs of torture were found after her rescue.
- Shahnaz was sent to a hospital for evaluation and will be reunited with her family following treatment, according to New Market Police Station officials.
A 12-year-old housemaid was rescued by the Fire Service after being found on the sunshade of a 16th-floor building on Elephant Road in Dhaka. The incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. today (February 26), confirmed Talha Bin Zasim, Media Officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defense.
The girl, identified as Shahnaz, daughter of Fakhruddin from Gouripur, Mymensingh, was discovered sitting atop an outdoor air conditioner unit on the sunshade of Prince Tower. Local residents and passersby spotted her and alerted the building’s occupants, who then contacted the fire service. Rescue personnel arrived at the scene at approximately 11:50 a.m. and successfully brought her to safety by 12:15 p.m.
According to Talha, “The family who employed Shahnaz claimed she was not mentally stable.” The house owner, Mahmud, stated that they had been searching for her since morning and had reviewed CCTV footage but were unable to locate her until alerted by neighbors.
Following the rescue, police escorted Shahnaz and her employers to New Market Police Station around 1 p.m. Officer-in-Charge Mohsin Uddin informed The Business Standard that Shahnaz was sent to a hospital for medical evaluation. “The girl’s speech is slurred, which suggests she may have mental health issues. There is no indication that she was subjected to torture,” he added.
Authorities plan to reunite Shahnaz with her family after her treatment is complete.
