Savar Madrasa Student Rape Allegation: Head Teacher on the Run, His Wife Arrested
A 13-year-old madrasa student in Savar, Dhaka, has allegedly been raped by the institution's owner and head teacher, Maulana Md Abdul Bari. Police have arrested his wife on allegations of assisting in the crime and threatening the child. The head teacher has been on the run since the case was filed.
According to the case statement, the incident took place on Wednesday (21 October) at the Tohfatul Janna women's madrasa in Birulia Union of Savar upazila. The victim is a student of that madrasa.
The statement says the victim lived with other students in a flat on the second floor of the madrasa. In another flat nearby lived the madrasa's owner and head teacher, Abdul Bari (50), and his wife, Mst Tohfa (40).
According to the allegation, when the child went downstairs at around 10am on Wednesday, the head teacher forcibly took her to a room beside the madrasa office and sexually assaulted her there. When the child tried to scream, he held her mouth shut, the statement says.
The statement further says the teacher's wife, Tohfa, later arrived at the scene. According to the allegation, she intimidated the child and threatened her not to tell anyone about the incident. As she left the room, Abdul Bari also threatened to kill the child if she told anyone, according to the statement.
When the madrasa cook, Tanzila (27), appeared there, Abdul Bari left for the second floor with his wife. The child later went home from the madrasa and, crying, told her family members what had happened.
After learning of the incident, family members went to the madrasa with local people and detained Tohfa. Abdul Bari, however, had already fled, according to the statement. Police later arrested Tohfa.
Md Mosharraf Hossain, inspector (investigation) of Savar Model Police Station, said the victim's grandfather filed a case on Wednesday night under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. The madrasa owner and his wife were named as accused in the case, and the teacher's wife has been arrested.
The police officer added that the child has been sent to the One-Stop Crisis Centre (OCC) of Dhaka Medical College Hospital for a medical examination.
News of the incident has spread anger in the area, according to local sources. Because the allegation has arisen at a residential madrasa where students live under the supervision of the institution's head, concern has grown among guardians about safety.
Under the law, cases under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act are tried in special tribunals. As part of the investigation, police are now collecting evidence, including the medical examination report, to verify the allegation.
Police say operations are under way to arrest the absconding main accused, Abdul Bari. Once he is arrested, interrogation and the next legal steps will move forward.
The arrested Tohfa will be produced before a court to complete the next legal process, according to relevant sources. After the investigation, police will submit a report to the court.
