2 arrested over alleged sexual abuse of madrasa student

Police have arrested two people in connection with the alleged repeated sexual abuse of an eight-year-old boy at a residential Qawmi madrasa in Gazipur. Three people have been accused in a case filed over the incident.

The arrested men were sent to court, police said.

Officer-in-Charge of Gacha Police Station Golam Rabbani confirmed the arrests on Friday evening.

The accused are Md Oliullah Islam, 23, Mohammad Mizan, 38, and Md Abdul Quddus Sheikh, 45. Oliullah is a teacher at the madrasa, while the other two are accused of assisting him, according to the case statement.

According to the complaint, the boy’s mother left him at the residential section of Darul Hedayah Qawmi Madrasa on Dengur Ali Road in the Kalmeshwar area under Gacha Police Station on October 7.

On October 13, when the boy returned home for lunch, he complained of severe pain in a part of his body while his mother was bathing him.

When asked about the pain, the child told his mother that a teacher had woken him up at around 1am on October 10 while he was sleeping with other students. The teacher allegedly threatened and lured him before taking him to a storeroom and sexually abusing him against his will.

The complaint further alleged that the child was abused again at the same place at around 1:30am on October 11 and 3am on October 12. The accused allegedly threatened to beat him if he disclosed the incidents to anyone.

The boy’s mother informed the madrasa authorities about the allegations. However, two people associated with the institution allegedly tried to cover up the incident instead of taking action against the accused teacher. The complaint also alleged that the teacher was subsequently removed from the madrasa through a ploy.

OC Golam Rabbani said a case had been filed against the three accused under the relevant laws. The two arrested men have been sent to court.