Child's Sexual Abuse: Madrasah student put on 5-day remand
The death of a child at a madrasah in Dhaka’s Banasree area has sparked serious concerns over student safety and supervision inside residential religious institutions, as police continue investigating allegations of sexual abuse linked to the incident.
A Dhaka court on Thursday placed 20-year-old madrasah student Md Shihab Hossain on a five-day remand in connection with the death of Md Abdullah, a student of Alokito Quran International Hifz Madrasah in Banasree’s C-Block under Rampura Police Station.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Hasibuzzaman passed the order after police produced the accused before the court and sought a seven-day
remand for interrogation.
According to police, Shihab was arrested from Khakchara village in Pabna’s Bera upazila on Wednesday night during a raid conducted by Rampura police. Investigators said he had gone into hiding after Abdullah’s death.
Police recovered Abdullah’s body from a washroom of the madrasah on Tuesday night. The initial inquest reportedly found signs that led investigators to examine allegations of sexual abuse and possible involvement of others.
During questioning, madrasah authorities reportedly told police that similar allegations had earlier been raised against Shihab involving other students.
Investigators are now trying to determine how the accused remained within the institution despite previous complaints and whether negligence by the madrasah authorities contributed to the child’s death.
The remand petition stated that preliminary findings indicated Shihab’s involvement and that further questioning was necessary to uncover the full circumstances of the incident.
Abdullah’s mother, Mst Tuku Ara Khatun, filed a case with Rampura Police Station against Shihab and several unidentified people.
No lawyer represented the accused during Thursday’s hearing.
The incident has renewed concerns over the protection of children in residential madrasahs, particularly regarding complaint handling, supervision, and the duty of authorities to ensure a safe environment for students.
