The father of a six-year-old girl allegedly sexually abused at a residential madrasa in Tongi’s Auchpara has vowed to fight the case filed against him while respecting the law, and demanded a fair investigation into the alleged abuse of his daughter.
Shahjalal Rumi made the remarks at a press conference around 3:00am on Saturday amid growing controversy over the incident. His friend and content creator Taj was also present.
Rumi said he went to the madrasa to seek justice for his daughter, not to create a mob.
“I went to the madrasa to seek justice for my child, not to create a mob. The authorities are claiming that I created a mob and went there to occupy a flat. Why would I do that?” he said.
“If I had created a mob, there were more than 50 people there. Why didn’t they all attack me? I went there as a father seeking justice for my child,” he added.
Rumi said he was not against the madrasa or its teachers, noting that he had sent his daughter there to receive religious education.
“I am not against Islam or genuine religious scholars. I am speaking against those who use religious identity to commit crimes and try to hide the truth,” he said.
Rumi said he had been unable to sleep properly since learning about the alleged abuse.
He claimed that he had informed the madrasa principal about the incident three days earlier but received no response.
“I waited outside his room for a long time. When I finally spoke to him, he behaved as if he did not want to meet me,” Rumi said.
He also alleged that the accused teacher had threatened the child, warning her that she would be killed if she told anyone at home.
Frightened, the girl remained silent for three days before eventually telling her mother, he said.
Rumi said the madrasa authorities had previously assured him that CCTV cameras would be installed in the rooms to ensure the safety of female students. Based on that assurance, he had sent his daughter back to the madrasa.
He further claimed that the accused had later messaged the child’s maternal grandfather, saying he would not commit such an offence again.
Regarding the case filed against him, Rumi said, “I learned in the afternoon that a case had been filed against me. If the law considers me guilty, I will accept whatever punishment is prescribed. I respect the law and will fight the case. But I also want justice for what happened to my child.”
Rejecting allegations that he had taken Tk17 lakh from the madrasa, Rumi called for the institution’s CCTV footage to be examined.
“The madrasa has CCTV cameras. Let the footage be checked to see where I allegedly took Tk17 lakh from. It should also be clarified how such a large amount of money was kept at the madrasa,” he said.
He urged the authorities to investigate all allegations against him fairly.
Addressing the public, Rumi said: “If what allegedly happened to my daughter had happened to your own child, would you have accepted it?”
He appealed for public support to ensure his daughter’s safety and justice, urging people not to blindly trust individuals or institutions based on their identity, but to verify allegations through an impartial investigation.
