Cross-Cases in Tongi Madrasa Abuse Incident as Police Move to Arrest the Student's Father
In Tongi, Gazipur, after the accused teacher was arrested in a case filed by the guardian over the alleged sexual abuse of a madrasa student, police are now actively working to arrest the student's father. Cross-cases and a video spreading on social media have fuelled intense debate over the incident in the area.
The matter was confirmed on Saturday night by Arifur Rahman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Tongi West Police Station. He said the accused teacher was arrested and sent to court immediately after the incident, and that police are conducting operations to arrest the guardian.
It is learnt that last Wednesday afternoon, the victim student's father entered the campus of Qariul Quran International Madrasa, located on Shafiuddin Sarkar Academy Road in Tongi's Auchpara area, and beat assistant teacher Muslem Uddin. He allegedly brought outsiders with him at the time.
The madrasa's founder and head teacher, Qari Md Almas Hossain, filed a case with the police station on Friday afternoon naming the student's father and 15 others. The case alleges vandalism at the madrasa, an attack, and the looting of 17 lakh taka.
CCTV footage of the vandalism and chaos at the madrasa spread on social media and sparked widespread discussion and criticism. After the case filed by the madrasa authorities, police began operations to arrest the guardian.
Meanwhile, the student's father held a press conference demanding a fair investigation and justice over the incident. There he admitted to breaking a glass kept on a table at the madrasa and to beating the teacher at one stage.
At the press conference he said: “I did not go there to create a mob. I went to seek justice. But I got no justice. I even offered to pay compensation for what I broke. I learnt on Friday evening that a case had been filed against me. If I have committed an offence, I will serve jail time. But I demand a proper investigation.”
With cross-cases from both sides, intense debate is raging on social media over the incident. Meanwhile, religious speaker Zubair Ahmad Tashrif has been accused of expressing a desire to kill and threatening the student's father, Rumi, in his own Facebook live, which has created fresh controversy.
OC Arifur Rahman of Tongi West Police Station said there would be no leniency in arresting the guardian. He added that various videos and comments are circulating on social media and police are monitoring everything. A proper investigation will be carried out into the incident, he said.
The incident began with the allegation of sexual abuse of the madrasa student, on the basis of which the teacher was arrested in the case filed by the guardian. Now that same guardian is himself an accused in another case, and police have taken to the field to arrest him.
All eyes are now on how the investigations into the two cases proceed and where the trial of the original allegation of abuse of the student leads. According to police, the allegations of both sides are under investigation.
