I have never attended a madrasa in my life. My father believed that madrasa education often does not lead to high-ranking professional careers. He always envisioned that his children would become highly educated, respected professionals and senior officials in society. For this reason, alongside regular education, he encouraged us to learn English, typing, shorthand, and computer skills through vocational and technical institutions so that we could be well-prepared for employment opportunities. My father had very high hopes for me and always wanted me to achieve a respectable position in society. Before his death, holding my hand, he asked me to promise that I would complete my Master’s degree. I gave him that promise, and I fulfilled it.
In our family, religious education was primarily provided by our mother at home. We first learned to read the Holy Qur’an and later studied Bengali language and literature. After completing secondary education, I continued studying religious interpretation, including “Shan-e-Nuzul,” under the guidance of my grandfather. Our family believes that religious education should begin at home. I also ensured religious learning for my own children by arranging qualified Arabic teachers, and both of my children were taught by female instructors.
In recent times, I have been deeply disturbed by continuous reports on social media regarding sexual abuse, rape, and harassment of children and adolescent girls in madrasas. Many incidents involving female students in residential hostels under the supervision of male religious teachers appear frequently on social media platforms. On some days, I see 10"15 such reports. This situation has caused serious concern in my mind. It is extremely urgent that we take immediate steps to protect children and adolescents from such abuse. Madrasa institutions must ensure the safety of women and children while also introducing modern education, international language learning, computer skills, and artificial intelligence-based skill development as part of a comprehensive reform proposal.
The madrasa education system in Bangladesh has long played an important role in promoting religious education, moral values, and social ethics. However, in recent years, incidents of sexual abuse, rape, physical violence, and psychological harassment of children and adolescent girls in madrasas have raised serious concerns in society. Reports from social media, news outlets, and human rights organizations indicate that many victims remain silent due to fear, while families often avoid filing complaints due to social stigma. As a result, the true extent of abuse may be far greater than what is officially reported. Children who experience such trauma often suffer severe psychological damage, emotional instability, and long-term behavioral consequences.
Organizations working on child protection in Bangladesh, such as the Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum (BSAF), Nari Unnayan Shakti (NUS), Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), and Manusher Jonno Foundation, have repeatedly warned that weak child protection systems in educational institutions are increasing the risk of abuse. However, adequate preventive measures and enforcement mechanisms are still lacking in many cases. As a result, incidents continue to occur repeatedly without effective justice.
Current Situation and Problems: The types of abuse reported in madrasa institutions include sexual harassment, inappropriate touching, rape and gang rape, nighttime abuse in residential hostels, physical punishment under the guise of religious discipline, blackmail through video recording, psychological intimidation, and sexual abuse of young children. In many cases, victims are threatened with expulsion or public humiliation if they report the abuse. These incidents are frequently reported in media, yet effective punishment and justice are rarely ensured, allowing such crimes to continue.
Not only girls, but also boys are victims of sexual violence in many cases, particularly in residential hifz madrasas and orphanages. Numerous reports in the media have highlighted repeated allegations of abuse against young boys. However, in many cases, proper legal action is not taken, which results in continued injustice.
The problem is further worsened by several factors, including lack of child protection policies, insufficient monitoring in residential institutions, shortage of female teachers, absence of sexual awareness education, misuse of religious authority to create fear, lack of safe complaint mechanisms, poverty and vulnerability of students, and absence of modern technological education.
Root Causes and Institutional Failures: Many incidents reported in the media include rape in residential rooms by teachers, continuous abuse in orphanages, allegations of sexual misconduct by religious teachers, student suicides due to harassment and blackmail, and the use of secretly recorded videos for intimidation. These issues reflect deep structural failures in the education and governance system.
In many cases, children are placed in vulnerable environments due to blind trust or religious expectations, without adequate safety measures. This has resulted in severe psychological, physical, and social harm to children. These issues are not limited to individual institutions but represent a broader failure of child protection systems and educational governance.
Statistical Reality and International Concern: Although official government statistics on child sexual abuse are not always separately published, reports from human rights organizations and media analyses indicate that a significant proportion of abuse occurs within trusted environments, including educational institutions. Residential institutions pose higher risks due to lack of external monitoring and supervision.
International organizations such as UNICEF have identified child protection as one of the major challenges in Bangladesh. Similarly, Save the Children has emphasized the importance of ensuring safe educational environments for children.
Necessary Steps for Reform: First, every madrasa must appoint female teachers and trained counselors. Female educators are essential for ensuring safety, improving communication, and providing a comfortable environment for students. Each institution should have female supervisors, hostel administrators, child protection officers, and trained mental health counselors.
Second, a mandatory Child Protection Policy must be implemented in all madrasas. This should include CCTV monitoring, complaint boxes, confidential reporting systems, awareness of emergency helplines such as 999, 109, and 1098, regular monitoring, and strict teacher verification processes.
Third, sexual awareness and self-protection education must be introduced for children. Students should be taught about body safety, the right to say “no,” reporting mechanisms, and online safety. This is not against religious values but essential for child protection.
Fourth, modern and science-based education must be integrated into madrasa curricula. Along with religious studies, students should learn English, computer skills, programming, artificial intelligence, robotics, digital marketing, and scientific research so that they can compete globally.
Fifth, women’s economic empowerment should be promoted through freelancing, e-commerce, content creation, and online business training. This will help them become financially independent and confident.
Sixth, strict security measures must be implemented in residential madrasas, including female hostel supervision, 24-hour monitoring, parental visits, restrictions on isolated teacher-student interactions, and immediate legal action against offenders.
Seventh, religious education must include human rights, women’s dignity, child protection, tolerance, ethics, and social responsibility. Islam never supports abuse or oppression; therefore, these values must be included in education.
Eighth, government, religious scholars, women’s organizations, and human rights institutions must work together to establish a Madrasa Reform Commission, child protection audits, teacher training programs, and digital learning infrastructure.
At last I want to say, we need a madrasa education system where children are safe, women are respected, and religious and modern education coexist. Bangladesh has a large young population, and transforming them into skilled human resources requires urgent reform of the madrasa education system.
Sexual abuse is not only a crime but a serious social crisis that threatens the future of an entire generation. Protecting madrasa education requires transparency, accountability, justice, and reform. Without proper punishment for offenders, safety cannot be ensured.
Therefore, I strongly urge the government to ensure strict legal action against all perpetrators of sexual violence and to create a safe and dignified environment for all children and women in educational institutions across the country.
Author: Executive Director, Nari Unnayan Shakti
