NEW YORK: Bangladeshi Consul General in USA Monirul Islam and his wife were sued by his former domestic help Masud Parvez Rana at Manhattan federal court on Friday.

This case has become one of the hottest gossips after the incident of Devyani Khobragade scandal.

According to Masud Parvez Rana’s statement it is said that he was lured to America with false promises of $3,000 monthly wages and then was forced to work in oppressive conditions.

The lawsuit says Consul General Monirul Islam and his wife, Fahima Tahsina Prova, forced Rana to work 17-hour a day without any day off for more than 18 months at a stretch.

Rana alleged that the couple wouldn`t let him go outside from their two Manhattan homes and threatened to beat him or kill him if he left.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.

A message left with the Consulate General of Bangladesh in New York hasn`t been returned.

The accused consulate of Bangladesh has been promoted recently as ambassador to Morocco where he is likely to join soon. He might lose his immunity as a diplomat if he is proved guilty.

Rana is being represented by Dana Sussman, the same lawyer who`s representing the domestic worker who was allegedly underpaid by Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade.

Khobragade was indicted for allegedly lying about the worker`s status, setting off an international firestorm.

BDST: 1405 HRS, MAR 22, 2014