A mathematics teacher of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College Azimpur Branch was placed on a two-day remand in a case filed for allegedly sexually harassing a student.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Zaki-Al-Farabi passed the order on Tuesday after hearing on both remand and bail pleas.
Lalbagh Police Station Sub-Inspector Faiyaz Hossain, also the Investigation Officer (IO) of the case, produced the accused-teacher, Murad Hossain Sarkar, before the court and sought a seven-day remand for interrogation.
While the defence lawyer pleaded for bail and cancellation of the remand prayer.
After hearing on both the sides, the court sent him to police custody for two days for interrogation.
Lalbagh police arrested him from his Kalabagan residence on Monday midnight.
Earlier in the day, the school authority suspended him after their internal investigation found the accusations true.
The victims parents on Monday lodged the case with the Lalbagh Police Station. Other students also filed complaints with the school against the teacher.
In the FIR, the complainant stated that her daughter started going to the teachers private coaching centre in 2023.
On March 10 in 2023, Murad kept the seventh grader at the centre after classes, then groped and forcibly kissed her.
He also groped and sexually abused her on several other occasions, the FIR read.
On November 16 in 2023, he followed the girl to the prayer room after class and attempted to rape her there, the FIR read.
When she resisted, he threatened her with expulsion from school and said he would tell everyone and humiliate her parents.
On Sunday, students of Viqarunnisas Azimpur branch staged a protest, calling for the dismissal of the teacher and demanding his exemplary punishment.
Following three complaints submitted to the school against Murad, a probe committee was formed and the school attached Murad to the principals office on Saturday.
Last Saturday, the school authority withdrew the senior teacher and later attached him to the principals office in the face of the demonstrations by a section of students and their guardians.
Protesting the withdrawal decision the following day, the students and their guardians started a protest on the school campus, demanding exemplary punishment of the accused.
The guardians also held a press conference at the National Press Club the same day, demanding that the accused teacher be sacked.
The senior mathematics teacher has worked in the schools Azimpur branch since 2010.
Murad Hossain Sarkar, before his arrest, had claimed his innocence, saying that some teachers, out of jealousy, were conspiring against him using some students.
Porimol Joyodhor, a former Viqarunnisa Noon School and College teacher, is serving life-term in jail for raping a Class X student of the school in 2011.
