By Sumi Khan

Dhaka, Sep 10 (IANS): A seven-year-old boy, who had allegedly been chained and held captive for several months by his stepmother, has been rescued from a rented room in Ashulia town of Bangladesh, police said on Thursday.

The boy's father is a mason at Patakata village in Barisal district.

After being rescued by the police on Monday morning, the boy was full of tears. He said: "My stepmother always kept me tied with an iron chain. Whenever, I resisted, she beat me with bamboo sticks and brooms, holding my throat. I was scared, she abused me every time and beat me black and blue."

Ashulia Police Station in-charge S.M. Kamruzzaman confirmed it to IANS and said, "We have rescued the boy and handed him over to the state social welfare authority."

The locals alleged that the minor was being inhumanely tortured by his stepmother. Seeing this, they informed the police and the administration and urged that the captive child should be rescued immediately. They also demanded exemplary punishment to the boy's guardian.

Swinging into action, the police rescued the child.

However, the boy's father and stepmother have not given any statement about it.

Azaharul Islam Suruj, Chairman of Shimulia Union Parishad, said, "I went to the house and informed the police administration after hearing about the child abuse. And they later rescued him."