The Bangladesh Cricket Board has suspended paceman Shahadat Hossain from all forms of cricket as police investigate allegations he and his wife tortured and abused their 11-year-old maid, who is undergoing treatment in hospital.

The BCB issued a statement saying Hossain, 29, would be subject to a “zero tolerance policy” and banned from playing, training or participating in any BCB events until the case is resolved, effectively ruling him out of next month's two home Tests against Australia.

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“We have taken the usual route in dealing with such matters,” BCB CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury said. “The BCB has a zero tolerance policy on acts of indiscretion by registered cricket players and we have noted the serious allegations against Shahadat.

“We will not try to draw conclusions as this matter is still being investigated.

“However, he will not be allowed to play in BCB events or train with BCB support until further notice because the accusations have embarrassed the Board.”

Hossain and his wife Nritto Shahadat have reportedly gone into hiding since the allegations surfaced, with police inspector Shafiqur Rahman telling AFP that efforts were being stepped up to discover their whereabouts.

“We've mobilised 10 mobile teams (of officers) to arrest him,” Rahman said. “We're making raids almost every day and are now tracking mobile phones.”

The maid, Mahfuza Akter Happy, has told police and local media that the couple beat her, while television footage showed the girl, looking frail and thin, being taken to hospital with swollen black eyes.

"She told us that the couple beat her very often," Rahman has said. “Her hand was charred with a hot cooking paddle. She had injury marks all over her body.”

Hossain, who has played 38 Tests and 51 one-day internationals for Bangladesh, missed the recent series against India and South Africa after damaging the ligament and meniscus cartilage in his right knee in a Test match against Pakistan in May.