Teacher on three-day remand over madrasa student’s death

A Dhaka court on Thursday placed Md Zakaria, 35, a teacher at Rawazatul Ulum Hifzia Noorani Madrasa in Rayerbagh, on a three-day remand in a case filed over the death of a 13-year-old student of the madrasa.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mahbub Alam passed the order after a hearing, said court sources.

The court also sent another accused, Md Zubayer Ahmed, to the Children’s Court considering his age.

On 5 August, investigating officer Sub-Inspector Md Amzad Hossain of Kadamtali Police Station filed a remand petition, and the court fixed Thursday for hearing it.

During Thursday’s hearing, the complainant’s lawyer supported the remand petition, while the defence opposed it. After hearing both sides, the court passed the order.

Earlier, on 3 August, the body of the victim Naim was recovered from a toilet on the third floor of the madrasa. Naim’s mother Nazma Begum filed a murder case with Kadamtali Police Station that night. Police subsequently arrested the two accused.

According to the case statement, Naim and his younger brother studied at the madrasa. The two teachers allegedly used to torture Naim on various pretexts.

When Naim told his mother about the alleged abuse, she wanted to take him out of the madrasa, but the authorities allegedly refused to release him.

However, Naim’s unwillingness to continue studying there angered the teachers, and he was allegedly beaten and subsequently strangled to death, the case statement alleged.