Beaten madrasa student’s education should not be stopped: HC

The High Court (HC) has said that a beaten madrasa child's education should not be stopped due to fear and ordered that the situation be monitored.

The High Court also said there are cases of torture in madrassas, various forms of mental and physical abuse and even sexual abuse. The court gave instructions in this regard long ago. The instructions should be implemented everywhere. Madrasa authorities should make efforts to implement the directions of the court including the formation of a committee, reports Prothom Alo.

The court made the remarks at a hearing on the action taken against Maulana Md Yahia, a madrasa teacher who beat up an eight-year-old student in a madrasa in Chattogram's Hathazari, on Sunday. The state spoke of the action taken to the virtual high court bench comprising Justice FRM Nazmul Ahsan and Justice Shahed Nuruddin.

Deputy Attorney General Barrister ABM Abdullah Al Mahmoud Bashar presented the media report on the incident to the court on 11 March. The same bench of the High Court issued a verbal order to the state to inform the court of the steps taken in the incident by Sunday.

During the hearing, the Deputy Attorney General said the report showed that a case was filed on 10 March under the Children's Act. Meanwhile, the madrasa teacher, Maulana Md Yahia, was produced in the lower court. He was sent to jail as per the court order. Further, the accused teacher has been permanently dismissed from the institution. The abused child was treated at the Thana Health Complex.

The deputy attorney general said that three policemen were deployed at the child's house to provide round-the-clock security. At first, it was observed that the child's parents did not want to file a case. After talking to the administration (counselling), the student's father filed a case as plaintiff. The incident was brought to the notice of the concerned higher authorities including the Cabinet Division. All those in charge, including the principal of the concerned madrasa, were warned through the Upazila Nirbahi Officer so that such untoward incidents would not happen again at that madrasa or any other madrasa.

On Tuesday, Yahia, a teacher at the Markajul Islamic Academy, beat up an eight-year-old student because the student left the madrasa premises, following his parents, when they came to visit him at his educational institution on the occasion of his birthday.

Later the video of him beating up the student went viral on social media platforms, triggering a huge public outcry.

As an immediate response to his misconduct, the madrasa governing body expelled him from the institution. 

He was arrested on the evening of 10 March in Sarafvata, Rangunia, his village home.