Dhaka, Dec 8: Bangladesh cricketer Shahadat Hossain secured bail from the Dhaka High Court on Tuesday in a case in which he and his wife stand accused of physically torturing their underage house help.

The court granted him bail until March 31, 2016, and issued a rule asking why the fast bowler will not be given regular bail, reports bdnews24.com. The government has been told to come up with explanations by three weeks.

In September, paceman Hossain filed a police complaint claiming that his house help had gone missing. But several hours later, the 11-year-old girl surfaced to accuse the cricketer and his wife of regular torture.

Police said one Khandkar Mozzamel Haque found the girl at Mirpur and took her to the local police. Haque later filed the case. Hossain and his wife absconded until police arrested the cricketer's wife on October 4.

The next day, Hossain surrendered to the court of the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate, which rejected his bail plea and sent him to prison.

On December 1, the same court granted bail to his wife until January 17. Hossain then moved to the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge for bail, but was turned down.

Hossain last played for Bangladesh in May against Pakistan. He went off the field on the first day of first Test with a leg injury.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) got him treated in Australia and he was undergoing a rehabilitation programme.

The BCB also said the reports of Hossain's torturing a minor was "utterly embarrassing" and banned the pacer from all forms of cricket until the charges were settled.

IANS