Teacher sentenced to life for raping student threatens complainant after bail

A teacher, Firozul Islam (48), sentenced to life imprisonment in a student rape case in Natore's Gurudaspur, has been released on bail from the higher court. The day after being released from jail, allegations emerged that he had threatened the complainant in the case.

Firozul was released from Rajshahi jail on Tuesday night on the higher court's order. Later, his supporters welcomed him with flowers with a convoy of over a hundred vehicles. At that time, Upazila Chhatra Dal convener Md Manush Rana and several leaders and activists of BNP and its affiliated organisations were present.

The next day, Wednesday, while speaking to supporters at a meeting in Nazirpur of the upazila, Firozul threatened the complainant in the case. A video of his speech has spread on social media.

In the video, Firoozul can be heard saying, "If they give me life imprisonment based on the testimony of four people, then there are thousands of people here, they are all testifying to what the opposing side has done. There will be a trial. The trial has already begun. I promise you, the trial will be held on this soil of Nazirpur."

Regarding these remarks, the victim student's father and the complainant in the case said he is being threatened with death immediately after coming out on bail. Firozul has also threatened to hold a trial on the soil of Nazirpur, he said. He is in a state of panic with his family because of this. He also informed the police station about the matter.

Upazila BNP member secretary and former municipal chairman Md Amjad Hossain said Firozul was an active BNP leader. At one time, he also held responsible posts at the upazila level. However, he later lost the post due to various controversies.

Public Prosecutor of the Rajshahi Speedy Trial Tribunal, Munshi Abul Kalam Azad, said headteacher Firozul Islam was sentenced to life imprisonment as the rape allegation was proven. Additionally, he was sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment under a separate section in the abduction incident. The victim student's family was satisfied with the court's verdict. However, the complainant's family has been gripped by fear as the accused was released on bail in the appeal.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Gurudaspur Police Station Abdul Hannan said legal action will be taken based on a complaint if the complainant in the rape case is unjustly threatened.

According to the case documents, the student of a village in Gurudaspur upazila studied at Nazirpur Mariam Memorial Balika High School. The case alleged that on October 1, 2022, when she came to the school to take the SSC practical examination, headteacher Firozul Islam forcibly took her into a microbus from in front of the school gate. It was alleged that she was later taken to a residential hotel in Rajshahi and raped with her hands and feet tied.

When eyewitnesses informed the victim's family about the matter, her father filed a case with Gurudaspur Police Station, naming Firozul Islam and his two brothers as accused. Later, around 12:15am on October 11, the then RAB-5 arrested Firozul from a residential hotel in Taktila of Gazipur's Kaliakair upazila.

Firozul Islam was a former senior vice president of Gurudaspur upazila BNP. He was dismissed from his job after being convicted in the case.