A madrasa teacher was arrested in Tongi, Gazipur, on Thursday over allegations of sexually assaulting a first-grade student, a day after the teacher was beaten by the child’s relatives and local residents in an incident captured in videos circulating on social media.
The incident took place at a madrasa in the Auchpara area of Tongi on Wednesday. Police rescued the teacher, Moslem Ahmed, 30, and took him into custody.
He was arrested in a case filed by the child’s father and sent to court on Thursday afternoon. The madrasa authorities also filed a separate complaint alleging vandalism and assaults on teachers.
Several videos showing the teacher being beaten have been circulating on Facebook since Thursday. In a 24-second video, several people are seen questioning him inside the madrasa.
The teacher is heard saying: “...I have a different kind of relationship with our students, with everyone, especially those in first-grade. At one point, the child’s relatives then begin slapping and beating him.
Another video, lasting 2 minutes and 29 seconds, shows several people assaulting the teacher as others attempt to intervene and pull him away. Some of the child’s relatives are also seen accusing the madrasa authorities of failing to act after being informed of the alleged incident.
According to the case statement, the alleged sexual assault took place on the stairs on the madrasa’s ground floor on Monday.
Family members and local sources said the child initially refused to return to the madrasa but did not explain why. She later disclosed the alleged incident after her parents questioned her.
The family went to the madrasa on Wednesday afternoon to question the teacher, drawing a crowd of local residents. The teacher was beaten before police arrived and took him to the police station.
The child’s father told journalists that his daughter studies in first-grade at the madrasa and that Moslem Ahmed had behaved inappropriately with her on Monday. He confirmed filing a case and said the teacher had been arrested.
Almas Hossain, the madrasa’s founder and principal, claimed the incident had been orchestrated to damage the institution’s reputation. He alleged that a group of 15 to 16 people, led by the child’s father, entered the madrasa and assaulted the teacher.
Hossain said other teachers and security personnel were also beaten when they tried to intervene. He further alleged that the group vandalized the office and looted Tk17 lakh and 5 mobile phones.
The child’s father denied the looting allegations. He also claimed that he had received death threats from various quarters following the incident, including through threatening comments on social media, and said he felt unsafe.
Tongi West police station Officer-in-Charge Arifur Rahman said a case had been filed over the alleged sexual assault and the teacher was sent to court on Thursday. He confirmed that the madrasa authorities had lodged a separate complaint over alleged vandalism and assaults on teachers.
Regarding the threats, Arifur Rahman said both sides had verbally accused each other of making threats. Police would investigate and take necessary action, he added.