Madrasa teacher beaten, held over rape of minor in Noakhali

A madrasa teacher has been detained after locals allegedly beat him over accusations of repeatedly raping a nine-year-old female student in Sonaimuri area of Noakhali Sadar upazila.

The accused, Mawlana Mobarak Hossain Emran, 45, is being treated under police guard at Noakhali 250-bed General Hospital.

Mobarak, son of Golam Kibria of Ashwadia union, teaches at the madrasa attended by the child, who is a Class Five student.

According to the child’s family and police, the girl had become increasingly inattentive to her studies in recent months. After noticing physical changes, her mother took her to a private hospital in Maijdee on Monday for medical tests.

The family said the examination indicated signs of abuse, following which the girl told them that the teacher had allegedly raped her at different times over the past five to six months. She also alleged that some of the incidents occurred at the teacher’s home while he was tutoring her privately.

The allegations sparked anger in the area on Tuesday night. Locals went to the madrasa, detained Mobarak and allegedly beat him before police arrived and rescued him in an injured condition.

Mohammad Nazrul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Sudharam Model Police Station, confirmed that the child’s mother had filed a rape case against the teacher.

"Mobarak was receiving treatment in police custody and would be formally shown arrested and sent to jail through the court after his discharge from hospital," the OC said.