Guardian directed to surrender in madrasa attack-vandalism case

The High Court has directed the guardian of a seven-year-old child to surrender before the Gazipur Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court within four weeks in a case filed over allegations of attack and vandalism at a madrasa centred on the allegation of sexual harassment of the child in Tongi of Gazipur.

Advocate Bellal Hossain, lawyer of the guardian, said a High Court bench comprising Justice Md Selim and Justice Md Asif Hasan passed this order on Tuesday (November 3).

He said, “During the hearing of the case he has been directed to surrender before the Gazipur Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court within four weeks. We will make him surrender in Gazipur within this time.”

He further said, “The main issue of this case was an allegation of theft of Tk 17 lakh along with a slap. Considering the socio-economic context of Bangladesh, a question arises whether a madrasa can have cash of Tk 17 lakh. A reasonable idea is formed that this is a false allegation. Even then we approached the High Court seeking anticipatory bail. The court has directed surrender. We will take the next step in Gazipur.”

Advocate Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman Khan, Advocate Bellal Hossain and Advocate H M Ruhul Amin Molla conducted the hearing on behalf of the bail application in the court that day.

The guardian, a bodybuilder, went to Quranatul Quran Madrasa in Tongi on October 21 and slapped a teacher after raising the allegation of sexual harassment of his seven-year-old daughter. He came into nationwide discussion after the video of the incident spread on social media. Police later arrested the teacher named Muslim Uddin and sent him to jail.

In the same incident, the principal of the madrasa Mohammad Almas Hossain filed a counter case against the guardian on October 24 over allegations of entering the madrasa with outsiders, beating the teacher, vandalising the madrasa office room and looting Tk 17 lakh. Ten to 12 unknown people have also been made accused in the case.

The guardian had filed an application seeking anticipatory bail in the High Court on October 26 in this case.

The FIR of the case said the accused illegally entered the madrasa at 11:40am on October 21 and carried out a sudden attack and vandalism. They broke the glass of the table and the electric board of the office room causing damage of about Tk 20,000. When an attempt was made to resist, the guardian hit the madrasa teacher Moslem Uddin on the back of the head with a large stapler. The teacher fell on the floor bleeding and other unknown accused beat him.

The FIR further said the attackers pushed the madrasa vice-principal Jannatul Ferdous Kali to the floor and indiscriminately punched, slapped and kicked other teachers. Besides, they used abusive language and outraged the modesty of the female teachers.

The FIR alleged that at one stage of the beating the guardian forcibly took away cash of Tk 17 lakh kept in the drawer of the office room for buying land. While leaving he beat security guard Delowar Hossain Patwary and threatened that the educational activities of the madrasa would not be allowed to continue in future if legal action was taken over this incident.