Locals set fire to women’s madrasa after alleged sexual assault of student

The director of a residential women’s madrasa in Pabna was handed over to police following allegations that he tried to rape a student. Later, after the incident became public, locals set fire to the madrasa building.

Additional police were deployed to bring the situation under control.

The incident took place early Friday in Pabna district town.

According to local residents, Abu Yusuf, 55, a teacher and director of the madrasa, had rented a single-storey house to run the residential institution. Female students lived in one room, accompanied by a female teacher, while Yusuf stayed in an adjacent room.

The alleged victim and her classmates said the student had left her room early in the morning to use the toilet when Yusuf allegedly dragged her into his room and attempted to rape her. Another student reportedly witnessed the incident, rushed outside and called for help. Local residents arrived, rescued the girl and detained the accused teacher before informing the police. Officers later arrived and took him into custody.

Several eyewitnesses said local residents became enraged when news of the incident spread in the morning. They eventually vandalised the madrasa and set fire to the building. Police moved the other students to safety.

A local youth who witnessed the incident said he and others rushed to the scene after hearing what had happened and found the teacher without clothes. They tied him up and informed the police, he said.

During a visit to the scene around noon, the house was still on fire as firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze. Hundreds of onlookers had gathered around the building, while a large contingent of law enforcement personnel tried to calm the crowd.

Sultan Mahmud, chairman of Bharara Union Parishad, said the girl had come forward immediately after the incident in the early morning and reported what had happened. Local representatives quickly went to the scene and spoke to the detained teacher. After he admitted to the incident, they handed him over to the police, Mahmud said.

Pabna Superintendent of Police Abu Ashraf visited the scene after receiving the news. He said arrangements had been made for a medical examination of the girl and that the other students had been safely handed over to their families.

The police chief said efforts were under way to calm the angry crowd. The accused teacher remained at the police station, he added. The victim’s uncle had said he would file a case. Once the case is registered, police will formally show the teacher as arrested and send him to jail, the superintendent said.