Gazipur Madrasa Abuse Case: Teacher and Director Arrested, Third Accused on the Run
Police in Gazipur have arrested a Qawmi madrasa teacher accused of sexually abusing an eight-year-old third-grade student multiple times. The madrasa's director has also been arrested in the same case, accused of trying to cover up the incident. The case, filed by the child's family, names three accused in total; the third remains on the run. Gacha police station officer-in-charge (OC) Golam Rabbani confirmed the arrests.
According to the case statement, the incidents took place at Darul Hedaya Qawmi Madrasa in the Kalameshwar (Dengur Ali Road) area under Gacha police station in Gazipur city. The child studied in the third grade while staying at the madrasa's residential boarding facility.
The accused are the madrasa's teacher Oliullah Islam (23), son of Abdul Quddus Sheikh of Baidya Dhaldor (Bagbati) in Sirajganj Sadar upazila; Mohammad Mizan (38), son of Lal Mia of Sharifpur under Gacha in Gazipur city; and Abdul Quddus Sheikh (45), son of Haran Sheikh of the same Sirajganj village. The statement accuses the director and another person at the madrasa of attempting to cover up the incident.
Those arrested are the prime accused Oliullah Islam and Mohammad Mizan — the madrasa's teacher and its director respectively. The prime accused was arrested from outside Dhaka and the director from near Dhaka. On Friday (23 October), both were sent to jail through the court.
In the statement, the family said the child was left at the madrasa boarding facility at 4 pm on 7 October. At 2 pm on 13 October, the boy came home for lunch. That day, while being bathed, he complained of physical pain, and when asked, he told his mother what had happened.
According to the family's complaint, on the night of 10 October the sleeping child was woken, intimidated and taken to the madrasa's storeroom, where he was sexually abused. The statement says the abuse was repeated at the same place late on 11 October and again on the night of 12 October. The family also alleges the child was threatened with being beaten if he told his mother.
The statement further says that when the family immediately went to the madrasa and informed director Mohammad Mizan, he spoke evasively. Instead of arranging any disciplinary proceeding or legal action against the accused teacher, he deliberately tried to suppress the matter and at one stage helped the accused slip away from the madrasa. When another accused, Quddus Sheikh, was informed of the incident, he too allegedly tried to cover it up and intimidated the family in various ways.
The family's statement contains another grave detail: after the child's case became known, it emerged that another student (10) of the same madrasa had also allegedly been abused multiple times by the same accused teacher — raising fears that the number of victims may be higher.
Gacha police station OC Golam Rabbani of Gazipur Metropolitan Police said two people have been arrested in the case over the alleged rape of the child student. A case has been filed against three people under the relevant law, and the two arrested have been sent to jail through the court. Police operations are continuing to arrest the absconding Abdul Quddus Sheikh.
The incident has once again raised questions about children's safety in residential educational institutions. Strict oversight of boarding students' protection, accessible complaint channels and institutional accountability has long been demanded. In this case, the allegation that the cover-up attempt came from inside the institution itself has further shaken the trust of victim families.
Police say that alongside arresting the absconding accused, the investigation will also examine whether any other child was harmed. Further legal steps will follow interrogation of the two arrested men and the investigation's findings.
Attention is now on the progress of the investigation and the arrest of the fugitive accused. The victim child's family awaits justice, while anger and anxiety over the incident have spread across the local community.
